Chuck vs the Other Super Spy
by Costas TT
Summary: Instead of being kicked out of Stanford, Chuck was recruited by the CIA. Now, five years later, he and his team are legends in the Agency. There is something missing though. But one mission will bring someone new into his life, a gorgeous fellow agent...
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** I've been writing this one on and off, little by little, for over a month, while taking breaks from working on the last story. Finally, the first chapter is finished and it's time to post it. As always, this is only for fun, there is no financial gain for me in this and the disclaimer applies to this and all subsequent chapters. Once again, no beta, but I do proofread.

Enjoy!

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><p><strong>Chapter 1<strong>

"Let's play another hand," Bryce said. Morgan took the deck, shuffled and started dealing. Chuck watched him, taking a sip of his beer.

"Raise ten," he said.

"Call." Bryce threw a chip in the pot.

"I'm in," Morgan followed suit. "Fifty bucks."

"Wow, you're raising this early in the game?"

"Who dares wins, dude, that's my philosophy."

"If he's upping the ante, it means he probably has a lousy hand and wants to bluff us into folding. Call," Chuck said confidently.

"Fifty bucks it is." Bryce added his chips to the pile. From where she was, sprawled shoeless on a comfortable couch in the luxurious interior of the Dassault Falcon 7X executive jet reading a romance novel, of the kind the guys were apt to describe as feminist trash, Dr. Jill Roberts chuckled. "What?" Bryce, her boyfriend, asked.

"It's always fun watching you three gamble away your meager government salaries. Me, I'm just in for the traveling in style." She raised her champagne flute and toasted them.

"You won't be complaining when I get you something nice with my winnings, though."

"No, I won't."

In the end, Chuck walked away with the pot. He cashed in his chips and went to get another beer.

"Sorry Jill," he said.

"Hey, I may not get my gift, but we gotta find you a girl, Chuck. All that cash and no one to spend it on…"

"Yeah, thanks for reminding me."

"Seriously, bro, you haven't gotten laid for the fun of it in quite a while. I mean, wooing the ladies for Uncle Sugar is, well, productive, but nothing beats a good roll in the hay to escape _from_ work and not _for_ work."

"Hell, until Anna and I broke up, you were the only one of us without someone special to go home to," Morgan piped up.

"Right now both of us are in the same situation, little buddy."

"No, no, no, you are wrong. Right now, I'm back on the prowl. You, on the other hand, took yourself off the market, however unwittingly."

"He still had fun with the Crazy Cougar Lady – among others," Bryce pointed out.

"Ah, yes, Sylvia," Morgan laughed. "Dude, some of the things she did to you must have been illegal. Did you keep the fluffy handcuffs she used on you?"

"I got the information we needed out of her, didn't I?" He didn't answer the handcuffs question. For all he knew they were still attached to Sylvia's bedpost.

"Yes. I admit you did. But since Fulcrum's demise, we have not yet found a villain worthy of our combined talents."

'True… Fulcrum was a challenge, even if it was essentially a domestic cleanup. The missions we have been getting for the past few months were ridiculously easy."

"They were a challenge because their higher-ups were connected and the guys low on the food chain believed they were doing the right thing. Once they learned the truth about Fulcrum's aims, they usually told us everything we needed to know, but it always took some convincing."

"Even the mission we just completed wasn't so… fulfilling."

"At least we had a good time in South Africa."

"I also got a nice souvenir," Jill said.

"A diamond," the three men guessed.

"Correct! How did you know?"

"Jill, Bryce and I are the CIA's top agents, Graham's fair haired boys, and Morgan is one of the best analysts and logistics specialists around."

"Which one did you, um, appropriate?"

"One of the biggest we confiscated, of course," Jill deadpanned. Laughter filled the cabin.

"In all seriousness, guys, I'll be spending my well earned money to do something nice for all of us."

"Like what? You didn't win a fortune."

"Oh, I don't need a fortune to buy movie tickets."

"You're taking us to the movies?"

"Why not? There is bound to be a good film we can all enjoy together when we get home."

"In this case, I'm in."

"That's the spirit, Bryce."

They were laughing again when the communications screen on the forward bulkhead came on and their boss, Director of Central Intelligence Langston Graham, appeared.

"Hey, it's the Boss! Hi Boss," Chuck said.

"Chuck, one day you are going to go too far and cross the line over to insubordination," Graham said facetiously. "Congratulations on the South African job, by the way."

"Let me guess: you want to debrief us early?"

"No, the debriefings can wait."

"Go on, Boss."

"You will instruct the flight crew to divert to Henry E. Rohlsen airport on St. Croix."

"St. Croix? That's one of the US Virgin Islands!"

"Sir, are you sending us on compulsory vacation?" Bryce asked. "Because, if that's the case, I'm totally in for it."

"Me too," Jill agreed. "I could work on my tan, especially after spending two months in South Africa. It's winter down there you know, sir."

"You wish. We have bigger fish I want you to fry right now. Your aircraft will refuel there and file a new flight plan. Your final destination will be Casablanca instead of DC."

"You're sending us to Morocco?"

"Like I implied, something big came up. Our people in the Virgin Islands will supply you with the necessary documents."

"Who's the mark?"

"Rashad Ahmad," Graham replied. "One of his aliases popped up on the radar. He was recently identified as having been in the US on banking business, going by the alias of Harry Lime, and he is currently in Casablanca."

"The name sounds vaguely familiar."

"He's suspected of being a financier for various terrorist organizations, including Al Qaeda. He's also reported to have ties to Hassan Khalid, one of the most vicious AQ commanders and one of Zawahri's possible successors, now that Bin Laden is out of the picture."

"Let's go get him, then. And after that we want the vacation you promised us, Boss."

"I promised you nothing of the sort and don't be so cocky, Chuck. One of our best agents went missing while after Ahmad and his network and is presumed dead."

The mood immediately turned somber. Graham gave praise sparingly and to admit losing one of his best to Ahmad and his people meant that it was serious, deadly serious.

"Payback has just been added to the mission objectives, sir," Bryce said.

"We want Ahmad alive," Graham cautioned.

"Would you settle for his files?"

"I'd really prefer to have both. Don't be selfish, Bryce. Let others have some fun, too."

"No promises, sir. We'll see how it all plays out."

"Fair enough."

When Graham signed off and while waiting for the briefing file to arrive, the team was deep in contemplation. Going after terrorists and their supporters was always something not to be taken lightly, as hundreds, sometimes thousands of lives were at stake.

-o-

"Those guys really have their thumbs in many pies," Bryce remarked while reading the briefing file. "Terrorism, narcotics, people trafficking, arms smuggling, counterfeiting, money laundering, stolen art and antiquities, you name it, they're in it."

"That's our opening!" Morgan exclaimed.

"What?"

"Just think about it. The CIA originally went after them just because of their connections to terrorists. Has Graham given us a cover story yet?"

"No," Chuck replied. "But I see where you're going. We'll try to approach Ahmad pretending to be serious criminals in need of his financial services."

"It will certainly be more convincing than trying to pass ourselves off as terrorists of one sort or another."

"Morgan, call Graham. Tell him to change our cover backgrounds accordingly."

"On it," Morgan said enthusiastically and moved to the communications console.

As expected, Graham agreed and instructed his people to implement the necessary changes. According to Chuck, the new covers had the added advantage of facilitating any emergency extraction by virtue of their very nature.

They were waiting for the ground crew to refuel their aircraft and going over the documents Graham had sent them. He was going to be Charlie Charles, on the surface a successful entrepreneur, but secretly a smuggler. Bryce would reuse his Tom Anderson identity and would pose as one of Mr. Charles' closest associates if required.

"We neglected to address one issue," Chuck said. "What are we going to be smuggling?"

"Take your pick, Chuck," Bryce shrugged.

"We still have the diamonds," Jill reminded them and pointed to a briefcase resting on a desk.

"Ha-ha, Jill, babe, you're a genius!"

"You two are not going to get all lovey-dovey now, are you?" Morgan asked.

"Maybe," Jill replied cheekily.

The pilot came into the cabin and reported the refueling process complete. Chuck thanked him and instructed him to file a new flight plan to Casablanca. The Captain replied that it had already been taken care of.

Not long after takeoff from St. Croix, Chuck and Morgan made themselves comfortable on the couches and took a nap. Bryce and Jill did not let the opportunity go to waste, so they went inside the small private bedroom and locked the door behind them. The captain woke them all up when he used the intercom to report that they were entering Moroccan airspace.

"OK, gather around," Chuck said. "We are going to use different aliases for getting into the country and contacting Ahmad. As always, we'll have to spend a few days in town first and solidify our cover. When we make first contact, it has to be convincing. Jill, Morgan, we're keeping you both out of this, as I need you unseen and unheard to provide me with information and the like. Bryce, your involvement has also to be kept to a minimum, as you're the one to head an emergency extraction should the need arise. We are going up against some very dangerous people, so stay alert. There is going to be no face to face contact between the action and support teams unless absolutely necessary."

"I have an idea for an extraction scenario," Morgan said. "We could try the good old kidnapping. Make the other side think Chuck's, or rather our Mr. Charles', disreputable competitors had a hand in it."

"It's certainly workable," Bryce agreed. "If we get wind that something is off, we cut and run."

"What about our covers?" Morgan asked, referring to Jill and himself.

"You always wanted to go undercover, little buddy and your wish will finally come true. Today you become Mr. Martin Grissom, a rich businessman on vacation, and Jill becomes Ms. Jillian Sands, your secretary and executive assistant."

"I like it. And since I'm such a generous employer, Ms. Sands, I'll be booking a suite for you too. It's the least I can do for my most valuable employee."

"Why, thank you, Mr. Grissom."

"Just go easy on the room service. Sometimes, explaining things on our Agency expense accounts is not as easy as you might think."

The North African sun and heat were almost welcome after two months of shivering in the cold of wintertime Cape Town. Fortunately, they also had lightweight clothing, as they'd originally expected to return to the US, where it was summer. As planned, they checked into different hotels and prepared for selling their cover and finding a way to contact Ahmad's network.

-o-

"Any messages for me?" Chuck asked the hotel receptionist.

"Oui, Monsieur Charles," he replied. "You have one message. It was delivered by courier about an hour ago."

"Thank you," Chuck said, taking the sealed envelope and heading upstairs to his luxurious suite. There, once comfortably ensconced in an armchair, he swept the envelope for bugs, ripped open the flap and extracted the letter. He smiled when he finished reading it. Almost a week in Casablanca and finally their efforts had borne fruit. Ahmad had agreed to meet Mr. Charles and offer his financial services. Chuck opened his laptop and initiated a videoconference with Bryce, Jill, Morgan and Director Graham.

"Report, Chuck," Graham said in his usual brusque manner.

"We did it, Boss. Ahmad took the bait and he sent me a message. He wants to meet me tomorrow night."

"Well done, team. You still have the diamonds, right?"

"Yes and no, sir," Bryce replied. "We needed to sell the cover, so a couple of the smaller ones had to be disposed of on the black market."

"It's an acceptable loss."

"Hardly a loss, Director. We got paid handsomely for them," Morgan pointed out.

"It covered some of the operational expenses," Jill agreed. "And we got the diamonds for free in the first place."

"Exercise extreme caution when meeting Ahmad, Chuck."

"I'll be going in alone. Bryce will be standing by to help with an emergency extraction, if required."

"Where is the meeting going to take place?"

"In Ahmad's villa, Boss, and it is a veritable fortress. We pulled up some pics from Google Earth when I learned the location, but can you beam us some high resolution satellite photos? We may need them to plan the extraction strategy. I'll send you the coordinates. Be sure to include the surrounding area, too."

"I'll see what I can do. Good luck and keep me posted on any new developments."

"You got it, Boss." Graham signed off and Chuck turned to his team. "Guys, do we have a tux for me in our luggage? Ahmad mentioned in his note that it's going to be a black tie event."

Morgan, as the logistics specialist, was the one who had to answer. "I think we do. If not, we can just rent one for you. Just look in your suitcases and call me if you don't find it."

"I'll get back to you in the morning on the tux issue. If it's not here, get Jill to rent one and send it to my suite. You know my size."

"Why me?" Jill complained.

"I'm the boss and you're my assistant. Do the math," Morgan said smugly.

"He's right, babe. Going out and doing something his assistant would normally take care of could blow your cover," Bryce agreed.

"Since we seem to have everything covered, I suggest we all catch some Z's. Tomorrow's gonna be a long, very long day, with more to follow. Goodnight."

"Goodnight Chuck," he heard the others say before he disconnected. He sat there, contemplatively looking at the laptop. Noting the time, he decided to call home and check up on his sister. Hopefully, she would be at home and not at work. He wanted to be able to see her, but he could settle for a simple phone call.

"Chuckster!" A man's voice boomed from the laptop speakers.

"Hey Captain, how are things at home?"

"Same old, same old," Devon Woodcomb replied. Devon was Ellie Bartowski's boyfriend. The two had been together since medical school. "We miss you, Bro."

"I miss you guys too. I like my job and the traveling that comes with it, but there is a downside to it: I'm away from home all too much… Is Ellie there?"

"Let me go get her."

Sure enough, Ellie came running to the living room as soon as her boyfriend told her that Chuck was calling. "Hello, little brother! Where are you calling from this time?"

"That's the part you ain't going to believe, sis."

"Well, try me."

"Casablanca," he said simply. There was no harm in telling her the truth, even though she was unaware of the true nature of his job.

Ellie gaped. For a few seconds she just stared at her brother, unable to form words, looking very much like a fish out of water. Then she scowled. "Oh, I hate you, little brother. I really do."

"I knew the look on your face would be priceless, Ellie."

"Shut up. All I want to hear from you now is a promise to get me some nice souvenirs."

"You know your favorite movie was filmed back in California and not over here, right?" Chuck said snidely.

"Nevertheless, the real Casablanca is one of the places I've always wanted to visit. Until I do, souvenirs will be an acceptable substitute. And you'll get them for me."

"I promise, your Imperial Majesty."

"Good."

"How are Mom and Dad doing?"

"They are in Bishop, staying at the cabin."

"With their anniversary due in a couple of days, I guess they could use a vacation." Chuck smiled. His parents knew all about his agent status. Stephen Bartowski even provided him with a job, which was intended to be a cover, but Chuck did real work for the family business whenever he could spare the time.

"Indeed," Ellie agreed. "Take care of yourself, little brother."

"See you when I get back home, sis." He broke the connection and lay back on the super-comfortable bed, but did not immediately relax. Five years in the CIA had sharpened his sixth sense. Right now it told him that he had been followed to his hotel. It stood to reason. Ahmad would want to check him out first and make sure he was who he claimed to be. Fortunately, the Company had planted hints here and there to solidify his cover and make him look legit, both as an entrepreneur and as a smuggler. Remembering something, he bounded out of bed and rummaged through his luggage, smiling with relief when he found his tux. Quickly sending off a text to Morgan telling him not to bother with renting him one, he called room service and asked them to have it dry cleaned and ironed. It would be ready the following day, which suited him just fine.

A bellhop picked up the tux, promising to deliver it as soon as it was ready after being generously tipped and then Chuck went for a quick shower. Tomorrow was going to be a long day and an agent had to get all the rest he could. It was something the instructors at the Farm had drummed into their trainees from day one. He made sure his gun and a knife were well hidden, but within easy reach, changed into his pajamas and promptly fell asleep.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** The response to the first chapter was certainly heartening. I can't thank you all enough for it. In this one, it's glaringly obvious which actual episode I chose for inspiration. Hope you find it interesting and funny. Without further ado…

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><p><strong>Chapter 2<strong>

Chuck had managed to get a good night's sleep. The alarm system he'd rigged in his room did not activate and in general there had been nothing to bother him at all. After ordering a hearty breakfast from room service, he went and splashed some cold water on his face. Then he stepped out on the balcony and looked down. Sure enough, the Mercedes sedan he'd noticed last night before going to bed was still there. Pretending to type a text message, he took a picture of the car and its license plate with his phone. If the sun was cooperating, the camera might have managed to get a shot of the car's occupants.

"Yo Chuck," Morgan answered his phone sleepily.

"Rise and shine, little buddy. I got work for you."

Morgan was instantly awake. Being around agents of Chuck and Bryce's caliber for so long had resulted in him picking up some agent traits, the ability to focus instantly being one of them. "I'm all ears."

"I'm sending you a few pictures. Run them through the databases, ours, Interpol and local. See what you can dig up."

"That's a car… a very nice car."

"Yes it is, Sherlock. I think they are the tail the mark put on me to make sure I'm on the up and up – by his criminal standards, of course."

"I'll have to hack into the database of the local DMV, or whatever they call it over here."

"Handle it any way you see fit, but call me as soon as you've got something for me."

"Don't I always?"

"Sure you do, buddy." Chuck knew he didn't have to worry about how Morgan could hack into a database that was in Arabic. Their CIA issue, Orion Computers and Software made laptops had all the necessary programs not only to hack into every database imaginable, but a built-in translation function as well. The best part? Chuck had developed the aforementioned software together with his father.

With nothing else to do but mark time until the appointment with the mark, Chuck sat down to eat his breakfast and read the news online. As it did every time before a mission, his mind wandered to the events of five years ago.

Bryce had come to their room looking upset and told him all about having been recruited by the CIA and also that the agency wanted to recruit Chuck as well. He urged his friend to turn the offer down, but Chuck was intrigued. In the end it took one argument to overrule Bryce's objections: In all likelihood, the two would end up being partnered up, thus continuing with their escapades, this time in the world of international espionage. And it all happened exactly that way. Chuck laughed as he remembered the surprise he and Bryce had gotten in the Farm, when the legendary Frost who came one day as a visiting lecturer turned out to be Mary Elizabeth Bartowski. She had been equally shocked to see them and later confessed that she had gone from the lecture straight to an old friend's office, who happened to be Langston Graham, and chewed him out good for recruiting her son without telling her first. But eventually she accepted Chuck's decision and even took him and Bryce aside to give them some very useful pointers. And she was always there to share her expertise with the young agents when they needed advice and guidance.

Back to the present, Chuck decided to watch some TV while waiting for news from Morgan. Fortunately, the hotel had satellite TV, so he could watch programs from home. Then he went shopping for the souvenirs Ellie wanted. Sure enough, his tail stayed with him all the time. Morgan had identified the car as registered to a local corporation which was traced to Ahmad. Chuck could not see Bryce, but knew he was there somewhere, covering his partner.

At one point he noted with satisfaction that he had lost the tail in the traffic. It was a perfect opportunity to drop his purchases off at the hotel where Morgan and Jill were staying. He called to alert them to his arrival, after confirming with Bryce that the men Ahmad had tasked with following him had indeed lost him.

"They'll report losing you," Jill cautioned when she and Morgan met him at the lobby.

"So what? It happens, especially during rush hour traffic. At the most they'll stake out the hotel again and wait till I get back."

"He's right," agreed Morgan. "Plus, Chuck rented a car that blends right in." The Renault Scénic RX4 was a good choice, being discreet while offering good performance and part time four wheel drive. It was exactly what an agent needed to pass unnoticed in Casablanca. "If they do find him, they'll simply think he was taking care of business."

"Which I am, the personal nature of said business notwithstanding."

"Exactly."

"Chuck, would you mind if I took a look at the stuff you bought for Ellie?"

"Be my guest. You want to get your own souvenirs and you trust my judgment, right?"

"You nailed it."

After making some more small talk with his friends, he returned to his suite, to find a now familiar Mercedes already parked outside the hotel. Fortunately, he was still acting like he never saw it and the men riding in it. The tux was delivered not much later, and the bellhop again received a generous tip. One more thing crossed off of the list for the mission, Chuck got down to reviewing what intel they had on the mark. He paid special attention to the high resolution satellite photos of the villa Graham had finally gotten around to sending them, memorizing every building inside the compound walls, all the surrounding streets and alleys, mapping out all possible egress routes. If worse came to worst, he'd simply have Bryce blow a hole in the outer wall, near the southeast corner. It would be noisy, but also the fastest way out, especially if he were to find himself pursued and under fire.

Since Ahmad's invitation mentioned dinner, he decided on a light lunch. Since he was now known in the hotel as a good tipper, he didn't have long to wait before room service brought his order up to the suite.

The food cart was taken away, so he did a quick sweep of the room for bugs and then initiated another videoconference with the other members of the team.

"Did you guys study the layout of Ahmad's compound?"

"Sure did, pal," Bryce replied cockily. "I suggest you use the main gate, but if you want to exit in a hurry, the southeast corner is your best bet, as it affords the most cover."

"We're both on the same page here, Bryce."

"I have the breaching charges ready in my car, should we need to use them."

"Did you prep the car?" Morgan asked.

"Yep. The relay transmitter is in place, as are the security devices. Nobody will be able to approach within ten feet of it without you seeing them and alerting me. I also fitted the new anti-bugging gadget we made."

"Cool, it'll be the first time we get to use this one, dude."

"I know, little buddy. Now, let's talk about extraction. One possibility has already been taken care of."

"You're talking about the kidnapping ploy?" Jill asked.

"It's one of the things I want us to be ready to do, yes. Whatever happens, we must not leave anything to indicate that we work for the CIA behind."

"No problem, I've got it all covered," Bryce said. "You'll simply be carjacked, Mr. Charles."

"I like the way you think."

"Why, thank you."

"Just make sure the men Ahmad has tailing me won't interfere."

"Let's cross that bridge when we get to it. The way I see it, the local coroner will have a couple of extra clients if they are stupid enough to try and stop us."

"I'd prefer to do this as bloodlessly as possible."

"Hah, same old Chuck. No wonder your kill count is zero."

"You're not exactly the Terminator, either."

-o-

Finally, the time came to go to his appointment. He carefully checked himself in the mirror and had to admit that he looked very dashing in a tuxedo. Then he checked the mission equipment. The throat mike he could us to talk without being heard by others near him was hidden inside his bow tie. The ear piece was invisible under his unruly curls. He chuckled as he recalled what Ellie would say. Every time his hair grew too long she'd remark that his hair made funny animal shapes. Another general purpose low-powered bug was disguised as a cufflink. He also had two miniature cameras, one made to look like a button and another in the frame of his horn-rimmed glasses. Finally, he clipped the gun holster and the spare ammo pouch on the waistband of his pants and carefully concealed some non-metallic knives elsewhere on his person.

Rashad Ahmad was there to greet him in the driveway of his villa once he got in through the massive gate. As his faith dictated, Ahmad kept the exterior of his residence, in this case the tall outer wall, simple, not flaunting his wealth, but inside the wall it was another matter. The main building was a tasteful combination of local and French colonial styles. The driveway circled a fountain, while the lawns were immaculately maintained.

"Ah, peace be upon you, Monsieur Charles, it's nice to finally meet you in person," the host said, extending his hand.

"And peace be upon you. The honor is all mine, sir." Chuck took the proffered hand in a firm handshake.

"Allow me to introduce my personal physician, Dr. Zamir."

"Doctor," Chuck said respectfully, shaking the man's hand.

"Mr. Charles," Dr. Zamir returned the greeting.

"Are you armed, Mr. Charles?" Ahmad asked.

"In my line of work it's rather imprudent not to be," Chuck replied diplomatically.

"You'll be safe here," Ahmad said, his tone indicating that he'd be gravely offended if Chuck protested.

"I will leave my gun in the car." He made sure to be seen placing the gun and its spare mags in the glove compartment. He then offered to be searched by one of Ahmad's bodyguards, but Ahmad himself raised his hand and stopped his man.

"Building our business relationship on a foundation of mutual trust is the way I prefer it."

"Me too."

"Let's head inside. Dinner will be served shortly."

"You went into all this trouble just for me?" Chuck asked, seeing that he was the only guest in the dining room.

"Discretion is paramount in my business, Mr. Charles. Therefore, I have to go to lengths to keep my clients' confidence."

"And I find it most commendable, Mr. Ahmad."

The conversation during dinner revolved mostly around the global economic developments. Political issues were scrupulously avoided, sports being discussed at one point, for variety's sake. Chuck had read up on Arabic dinner customs and hospitality etiquette, so he was the perfect guest as far as his host was concerned.

The sumptuous meal over, it was time for coffee, prepared the traditional way, the seeds roasted before being ground. The business discussion could now begin.

"I must say, Mr. Charles, that I am curious as to why you came to me."

"The answer is simple. I am expanding my business interests in Africa and I found myself in need of a locally based financier. You do come very highly recommended. Your efficiency and discretion have earned very high praise."

"Still, there must be other ways to launder your money. The diamond trade is a very lucrative business and I'm sure you have not exhausted all your other options."

"Mr. Ahmad, let me be frank. I needed the financial services of someone outside my usual contacts. My business is lucrative, but also highly competitive. Therefore, I decided to create an emergency fund for personal use, should the need arise."

"I see you plan ahead, taking every contingency into account. It's laudable, in my humble opinion. If I may ask, are you concerned about your competitors, or, how do you say…?"

"An inside job?"

"Yes."

"Both. It pays to plan ahead and I'd like to have something to fall back on should the competition get ugly or any my people get too ambitious."

"I admire you for your forethought, Mr. Charles, I really do."

"Then I assume we are in business?"

"We are in business." The butler interrupted them politely and spoke to Ahmad in hushed tones. "Forgive the interruption, please. I was just reminded to take my heart medication."

"By all means," Chuck said. "One's health is a very important matter and should not be neglected."

"Let's take this to the study. Dr. Zamir, please instruct my staff that I want no interruptions, unless it's a matter of extreme urgency."

"Of course."

The two locked themselves in the study and proceeded to talk about the fund 'Mr. Charles' wanted to create and how it would remain hidden and inaccessible to all but Charles himself and those he chose to give access to. The cameras and bugs hidden in Chuck's clothing recorded everything and sent a live feed to Morgan, Jill and Bryce through the relay transmitter in the car. Later, they exited the study shaking hands and expressing their mutual satisfaction with the deal they had just cinched. Chuck was inwardly very pleased with the results of his work so far. Ahmad had given him the number of an offshore account where he could deposit sums to be transferred to the fund. If other clients of Ahmad used the same account, they could potentially be traced, perhaps leading to the tracing of their finances, data which could then be used by the CIA and/or shared with allied intelligence and law enforcement agencies all over the world. He'd also managed to plant a bug near the desk.

"Mr. Charles, do you have plans for the night?"

"No," Chuck admitted honestly.

"Then perhaps I could do something about it. I took the liberty of arranging some entertainment for tonight and I was hoping you would be able to stay and further enjoy my hospitality."

"It is my honor to accept your invitation." This way he could score more points with Ahmad and, who knows, he might get the chance to find out more about the organization.

"This way, please," Ahmad smiled. "Dr. Zamir and a couple of people from my accounting department will be joining us, but we won't be discussing business. It's time for pleasure."

"Business and pleasure, my two favorite things." He followed Ahmad to another room and sat down on a low and very comfortable sofa.

"Can I get you a hookah, sir," the butler offered.

"No thank you, I don't smoke. I hope you understand, Mr. Ahmad, as I would be loath to offend you in any way, not after the generous hospitality you've extended to me."

Ahmad laughed. "Good for you, Mr. Charles. And I won't be offended, don't worry. Unfortunately, Dr. Zamir will not allow me the small pleasure of smoking the hookah on occasion any more. But we can proceed with the entertainment."

The other people present did not have any compunctions about smoking the hookah, but did so at some distance from Ahmad, as per Dr. Zamir's instructions. Then the musicians entered, took their places and started playing. Chuck suspected what was about to follow, and he was proven right when several beautiful women came in through a curtained door and started dancing.

Chuck's eyes were immediately drawn to one of them. She was the tallest and most beautiful… and she was a blue eyed blonde, obviously a westerner. Her outfit consisted of a red sequined top and slit skirt, more revealing than the other dancers' outfits and a matching armband, while she had small cymbals on her fingers. He must have been staring open-mouthed at her, because Ahmad chuckled next to him and leaned closer to speak to him over the music.

"Do you like her?"

"She's beautiful," Chuck replied as she swayed closer to him on her bare feet.

"Elana is one of the best. She was a waitress in France when I found her, trying to make ends meet. Now, she's putting her skills to better use, as she's studied world dances. I like to think of myself as her Maecenas, as I'm very fond of the arts."

"I'm impressed. She certainly deserves to have such a distinguished patron of the arts supporting her." As he continued to admire her, he realized that she looked somewhat familiar. He tried to remember where he might have seen her, schooling his expression so as not to betray his thoughts.

"I'm impressed too," Bryce said over the comms. "How come you are the one who always gets lucky on assignments? Ouch!"

Chuck heard Morgan laughing and correctly guessed what had happened: Jill had hit Bryce over the remark. She was rather possessive of her boyfriend. She knew he would never cheat on her, but she smacked him anyway.

"Doesn't she look familiar?" Chuck asked as he pretended to take a sip of his drink.

"Should she?"

"She does to me."

"Let us know if you remember her."

"We could run her image through the facial recognition software," Morgan piped up.

"Do it."

Morgan got back to him a couple of minutes later. "Dude, I know why you thought she looked familiar. She's one of us. The file just had her photo and her last known cover name, Elana Truffaut. Everything else was redacted, Director's eyes only. Before you tell us to call Graham, Jill's already on the horn to Langley."

Chuck grunted an acknowledgment. He needed to talk more freely with his team. "Excuse me," he told Ahmad. "I think I had too much tea and coffee tonight. Could you please direct me to a bathroom?"

Ahmad motioned to the butler and instructed him to show Mr. Charles to the nearest bathroom. Once inside, Chuck made sure there were no cameras or listening devices around before speaking again and this time he could do it more comfortably. "Are you guys listening?"

"Go ahead," Bryce said.

"I remember where I saw her. It was at Langley, a couple of years back, during a lecture. She was talking to Carina Miller. They looked like good friends."

"Hold on. She and the Shark are besties?"

"I wonder why the man eater didn't think of her as competition," Jill added.

"Focus, people. She must be the missing agent Graham mentioned. Jill, what does he have to say?"

"I'm still on hold."

"Craptastic. You need to talk to the Boss urgently and they put you on hold? Anyway, if she turned…"

"You may have to start your kill count, buddy."

"Wouldn't she be in a more, um, important position if she's really turned?"

"Ahmad could be laying a honey trap using her, Morgan," Bryce said.

"I got Graham on the line!"

"Chuck, do you hear me?"

"Yes sir."

"Reacquire Agent Truffaut, alive. I want to know what intel she's got on Ahmad and his network. Before you ask, she'd never betray us. She'd do what she had to do in order to survive and complete the mission, but never turn traitor. I know her well and I know her father. Bring her back, Chuck. I don't care how, just do it."

"You got it, Boss. Now, I have to get back before they start getting suspicious over the duration of my bathroom break. Chuck out."

For the remainder of the dancers' performance, Chuck was watching the blonde intently, not having to pretend he was amazed with her. She'd had plenty of time to take a good look at him, but there was not even a flicker of recognition in her eyes. She probably hadn't noticed him back in Langley, which was not surprising given how crowded the place had been that day. Chuck himself had only noticed her because of Carina Miller. All the while, his mind was churning out scenario after scenario on how to get the girl out of there without too much fuss, i.e. having to shoot and blow their way out. At the very least, he could try and establish contact with her. Graham was sure that she was on the up and up, but in the spy world you couldn't trust anyone. He'd keep the option as a last resort.

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** Still enjoying this, I see. That's all the motivation I need to keep going. Thanks a bunch for the reviews, favorites and alerts. Well, here's another installment.

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><p><strong>Chapter 3<strong>

The show was soon over. Ahmad, Zamir, Chuck and the others applauded the musicians and dancers.

"Thank you, Mr. Ahmad," Chuck said. "I have thoroughly enjoyed myself tonight, in addition to our very productive business meeting."

Before Ahmad could reply, one of his accountants, judging by his bookish look, approached and, apologizing profusely for the interruption, asked to speak to his boss in private. "My apologies, Mr. Charles, I'm afraid I have to take an important phone call. Elana, cherie," he said, motioning for the blonde to come over.

"Oui, Monsieur Ahmad?"

"Please show Mr. Charles here the gardens until I return."

"With pleasure, sir," she replied in slightly accented English. "Suivez moi, Monsieur Charles. I mean, follow me, please."

"Don't worry, Mademoiselle. I understand French." He offered her his arm. "Shall we?"

"By all means."

The gardens were truly magnificent. Chuck had seen only the part out front, but the part at the back was truly breathtaking. There was even a swimming pool. As they walked, he tried to ignore the effect of her minimally clothed presence next to him and instead focus on the job at hand. His training prevailed and so he decided to fish around and see if he could dig up some more information.

"So, it must be nice working for someone with such an appreciation for the arts," he began.

"I can't complain."

"Plus, Casablanca is a beautiful place."

"It is," she smiled.

"I was wondering if you could recommend some nice places for drinks or dinner, stuff like that."

"Alas, Mr. Charles, given Mr. Ahmad's obsession with security, given how powerful and wealthy his clients are, I don't have much freedom of movement. Every time I've been to town I was accompanied by someone. Therefore, I am not the best person to ask about nice places for an outing."

"Your family must be worried about you."

"Not really. I don't have any family." Something in her tone, a trace of wistfulness, told Chuck that she wasn't exactly being truthful. Perhaps Graham was right. She hadn't turned. He resolved to complete his mission and help her reunite with her family if she was on the up and up.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have brought it up."

"No, it's okay. You couldn't have known."

They walked for a few more minutes in comfortable silence, Chuck still thinking about possible ways of getting the woman he knew as Elana Truffaut out of there. At least she had inadvertently given a plausible explanation as to why she had not contacted the Agency. Ahmad kept her on a short leash. It looked like she was a prisoner in a gilded cage. He recalled what Graham had said about her being one of the best in the CIA and his admiration of her grew. A lesser person would have cracked under the strain, but now he could see that she was just playing a role and doing it to perfection.

As far as the extraction was concerned, should he steer her towards the southeast corner and have Bryce blow a hole in the wall, allowing them both to escape? It would mean blowing his cover, but for the moment he could see no other way. They could, of course, try to sneak in and grab her at a later time, but it also entailed risks, although this way the cover could remain intact.

He was still pondering the pros and cons of the various extraction options when Lady Luck intervened – on their side. The blonde stepped into a pothole that was invisible in the grass and cried out as intense pain flared up in her left ankle.

"Are you OK?"

"I… I think I twisted my ankle."

"Can you walk?"

"I can try." She tried putting weight on her left foot and immediately gasped.

"Go easy on it, it may be broken. Fortunately, there is a doctor in the house." He supported her as she hobbled towards the main house. Chuck spotted a servant and called out to him. "Do you understand English?" The man shook his head, so Chuck switched to French and instructed him to get Dr. Zamir to come over.

"What's the problem?" Zamir asked when the servant fetched him.

"Elana stepped into a pothole and injured her ankle."

"Sit her over there." He pointed to a bench. Chuck complied and stepped back to allow the doctor to work.

"We may have an opening here," he informed Bryce and the others. "Follow my lead." Aloud he said, "Well, doctor?"

"There is some swelling already. Unfortunately, I cannot tell if it's merely a sprain or a fracture without x-rays. And I am a cardiologist, not an orthopedic surgeon."

"Then she has to go to a hospital."

"That would be the best course of action."

"I feel responsible for what happened. If only I had been more careful... Anyway, I'll take her to the hospital myself and bring her back after her injury is taken care of."

"Mr. Charles, you don't have to…"

"Dr. Zamir, I insist. Consider it my way of reciprocating to Mr. Ahmad for his generous hospitality."

"Let me talk to him."

"Excuse me, Doctor," Elana said in French. "I'd like to go to my room and change first. This outfit is hardly appropriate for outside the villa."

"Naturally, Mademoiselle Truffaut," Zamir replied and left to inform Ahmad of the latest developments.

"So your full name is Elana Truffaut, huh? I like it."

"And what's your first name, Mr. Charles?"

"It's Charles, but everyone calls me Charlie. Now, where is your room? I'll take you there so you can change."

"This way," she said. It was difficult for her to walk, even with Chuck supporting her. The swelling had increased and there was also some visible skin discoloration in the area of the injury.

He sensed her discomfort, although she tried to hide it. "Allow me," he said and scooped her up into his arms.

She looked at him suspiciously. "Are you trying to, as you Americans say, cop a feel, Mr. Charles?"

"Me? Hell no. I'm very respectful of women, Ms. Truffaut. It's easier for you this way, less pain. Also, try to keep your foot elevated." When they reached her room, he deposited her on the bed and got out, closing the door behind him to give her the privacy to change. But first he told her to pack an overnight bag in case she had to spend the night in the hospital.

The blonde agent quickly shed her belly dancer outfit, changing into cotton bra and panties before pulling on a short sleeved shirt and a long pleated skirt. The condition of her ankle made wearing shoes impossible, so she just grabbed a pair of sandals and stuffed a pair of flip-flops in the bag. Then she had an idea. Since this time none of Ahmad's goons would be crowding her, it might just be possible to find a way to send the intel she'd accumulated over the past year to the CIA. Reaching into the hiding space she'd created in the room, she pulled out the precious package and stuffed it into her purse before putting on a lightweight jacket.

"I'm ready," she called. Chuck opened the door, went in and picked her up again, this time taking her to the car, which the valet had driven to the front door.

"So, what do you do when you are not dancing for the entertainment of your boss and his guests?" Chuck asked, trying to engage her in casual conversation and lighten the mood.

"I coach the other girls. I also teach them and Ahmad's son English and French, plus I am occasionally asked to do some translations, very boring stuff. Why, did you think that he would, you know…?"

"The thought crossed my mind."

"And his, I have no doubt about it. I've seen how the old codger looks at me and the other girls, but with his heart condition Dr. Zamir would be extremely displeased if he tried anything funny. He's way past his prime and I doubt the little blue pill mixes well with his heart medication."

They fell silent as they approached the car. The valet held the passenger door open and Chuck helped her in, banging his head on the doorframe in the process. While going to the driver's side, he gave Bryce instructions for the next phase of the op. "Carjack us. Tranq her, just to make sure she won't cause us any problems."

"I'm on the way, Bro. I'll let you know where we'll do it."

Inside the car, Chuck turned to his passenger. "Are you comfortable?"

"Yes, thank you," she replied.

"I don't really know the city, so please direct me to the hospital, OK?"

"Certainly," she said.

As Chuck drove off, he noticed that he was again being tailed. He inwardly swore, as his gun was in the glove compartment and he could not easily get to it in case he had to support his team. At least he had absolute faith in them. If all went well, Ahmad's people would not interfere with the carjacking and merely report it to their boss, but deep down he knew it was just wishful thinking. In all probability, violence would ensue, hopefully with no innocent bystanders caught in the crossfire.

The carjacking scenario had been studied in depth earlier, so Chuck knew exactly where it would take place. Again, Lady Luck was on his side as the traffic light turned red at the designated intersection. A car suddenly screeched to a halt in front of Chuck's Renault, blocking the road, the two right side doors were thrown open and two black-clad masked men jumped out.

The blonde was conflicted. Every instinct she possessed urged her to use her considerable skills to oppose the attackers. On the other hand, such a course of action might not be advisable, considering the presence of both Mr. Charles and Ahmad's people. Blowing her cover right now would have really ugly consequences. Eventually, she decided to do nothing but sit tight and hope their attackers were interested solely in Mr. Charles. She had no such luck. Both doors were yanked open and before she could react she was shot twice… with tranq darts. She filed the fact away in her mind just before she lost consciousness.

Meanwhile, the second man, none other than Morgan, roughly pulled Chuck out of the driver's seat. "In the back," he barked, waving a gun in his victim's face. Chuck pretended to cower and complied. It was then when Ahmad's men, who reported what was going on, were ordered to stop the kidnapping, Ahmad himself making clear that they would suffer his wrath if they lost Elana Truffaut. It was a choice that would cost them their lives anyway, as Bryce saw them exiting the Mercedes, guns at the ready, and sprayed a full mag from his suppressed UMP at them. Both men were dead before they hit the asphalt. Morgan got in the driver's seat, while Bryce jumped in the back with Chuck. Jill, driving the other car, sped away, the Renault following behind.

"Great job, guys," Chuck said approvingly.

"Thanks," Bryce replied, taking off his ski mask. "So, this is Truffaut, huh? She looks a lot better in person."

"I heard that," Jill warned.

"Don't worry, babe. I think she's more Chuck's type anyway. You know who my type is: you."

"Where to now?" Morgan asked.

"The CIA has a safe house not far from here. We'll go there. But first we got to get her to a doctor. Stop anywhere you can, Jill."

They found a quiet place and stopped, transferring the unconscious blonde to the other car, while Bryce took the Renault. He would return it to the rental agency and then clear Chuck's room at the hotel. If Ahmad made inquiries, it would look like an internal strike to depose Mr. Charles as head of his criminal organization. Then they took her to a radiologist's lab, where x-rays of her foot were taken. The doctor, who worked at the US Embassy, informed them that it was just a sprain, provided Ace bandages, painkillers and chemical ice packs and gave instructions on their use. From there they went to the designated safe house, a small villa on the coast just outside of the city.

"How long before she wakes up?" Jill asked as Chuck carried her inside and laid her on a bed.

"Depends on the kind of darts Bryce used on her."

"Oh, she'll be up in a couple of hours," Bryce said casually.

"Good. In the meantime, I'll call Graham and bring him up to speed. We'll schedule a videoconference, for after she wakes up, of course."

-o-

The agent known as Elana Truffaut slowly floated back to consciousness and memories of the night's events came flooding back. The first thing she noticed was that she was on a bed and she did not appear to be restrained in any way, quite unusual for a kidnapping victim. And she was not alone in the room. She popped one eye open and saw a pretty bespectacled brunette applying an ice pack to her ankle, which was kept elevated on a small mountain of soft cushions. Without thinking, she lunged at the woman. Before her hands could find their target, someone grabbed her arms. She growled fiercely and managed to elbow the man, for now she could see it was a man, in the gut.

"Agent Truffaut, stop," he wheezed.

She froze. "What did you just call me?"

The man didn't answer. Instead, the brunette turned to the door. "Guys, she's awake," she yelled.

Two men entered the room shortly afterwards. The first one was movie star handsome and the other was a short bearded man. All the more surprising was that the leader, the one who was holding her arms pinned to her sides, was none other than Charlie Charles.

"You're surprised to see me, Agent Truffaut," Charles said. "It'll all be explained shortly." He turned to the short guy. "Open a line to the Bossman." And then he addressed Elana again. "We are setting up a videoconference with Director Graham. Yes, we too work for Uncle Sam. Welcome back to the CIA, Agent Truffaut, whoever you are."

"You're with the CIA?"

"We are," he smiled. "Sorry about the tranqs, but I didn't have time to explain the situation to you."

"What about the men Ahmad always has following me around?"

"They've been taken care of."

"Heckle and Jeckle are dead?"

"They tried to interfere with the carjacking."

"I never liked them anyway."

"Come on, let's go to the next room." Chuck helped her stand up and supported her until she was comfortable on a couch. Morgan gave her some pills and a bottle of water. "We got these from the embassy doctor who examined your ankle. It's not broken, thankfully."

"Hello people," Graham's voice boomed from a screen.

"Sir?"

"Sa-… Sam, how nice to see you. And you look good."

"Thank you sir."

"I don't suppose you were properly introduced. Sam Burton, meet Charles Carmichael."

"You're Carmichael?" Elana/Sam asked.

"You're Burton?" Chuck said simultaneously.

"Why is it so surprising to you?"

"I always thought Sam Burton was a guy."

"And I always imagined Carmichael as looking more like him," Sam said and pointed to Bryce.

"Bryce Larkin, Jill Roberts, Morgan Grimes," Graham finished the introductions.

"You can call me Chuck," Chuck added.

"I didn't know people named their kids Chuck… or Morgan, for what the matter."

"My parents were sadists and carnival freaks found him in a dumpster."

"But they raised me as one of their own," Morgan finished Chuck's joke.

Graham cleared his throat to get his subordinates' attention back. "You'll have the time to get properly acquainted later. Right now, I'd like to know what happened in the last year, Sam."

"I'll submit a detailed report when we get back, sir. But I have compiled some interesting information on Ahmad's network. Can someone get my purse, please?" She nodded her thanks as Jill gave her the purse, opened it and extracted the package, handing it to Chuck.

"It'll be sent to you ASAP, Boss."

"Great. Sam, what happened in the last year?"

"To cut a long story short, when Ahmad hired me he barely gave me time to pack before taking me with him and eventually ending up in Casablanca. I had to leave all my gear behind."

"And she was also kept virtually a prisoner. Even when going out in the city, Ahmad had her escorted by his men. There was no way she could make contact with the Agency."

"Director, can you…?"

"Call your parents? Sure, I'll let them know that you're no longer missing."

"How are they?"

"They are holding up. Like me, they never gave up hope."

"We can have Agent Burton on the plane and on the way home in an hour," Chuck said.

"The mission is not over yet," Sam said.

"Your part is."

"Like hell it is. I didn't waste the past year of my life for nothing, Carmichael."

"On the contrary, you've done more than enough. We'll take it from here."

"I don't like loose ends. I'm staying until the whole business with Ahmad is over. Besides, you'll need me."

"For what? We already know a couple of his accounts and I bugged his office in the villa."

"Did you access his files?"

"No."

"Then you need me to break into the villa and copy the files from his computer. I hope you have the necessary equipment, because I could not hack into the computer without the standard issue gadgets. I tried and failed."

"Ladies and gentlemen, please," Graham said. "I see the merits in your arguments, but Sam is right, Chuck. You need her there."

"Okay, fine, Boss. She can stay here and direct me over the comms."

"I'm coming with you."

"Not with a sprained ankle."

"It'll be fine in a couple of days at the latest."

Graham sighed in exasperation. Two star agents, consummate professionals, and could not be in the same room for five minutes without arguing. This was what happened when he ended up with two prima donnas in the same bed, figuratively speaking. There was simply no way to keep the covers smooth over them both. He began to have new sympathy for kindergarten teachers, for he was just about feeling like one. "Handle the matter any way you see fit. Chuck, you're the lead in this."

"Yes sir," Sam and Chuck chorused. Then Graham signed off.

He and Sam faced each other. "Look, Burton, I know you want to get back at him for the hell you went through this past year, but remember this: Ahmad is not really the one we're interested in."

"Do you think I'm unprofessional or stupid, Carmichael?"

"No, why…?"

"I know that his clients are our priority. Why did you think I risked my neck breaking into his office every chance I got to compile this? It's not much, but it has leads on several of them, and they'll never get stale, as they are all long time clients."

Bryce decided to intervene. "Guys, it's been a long day for all of us and it's late. I suggest we all get some sleep and we'll start afresh in the morning."

"He's right," Jill said simply.

"I agree," Morgan added.

"What do you say, Burton?"

"He's got a point," she conceded.

"Good," Chuck yawned. "I'm too tired to continue the fight. Let me take you to your room."

"I can walk."

"You call that walking? You're jumping around like a one-legged kangaroo, Burton."

She was soon back in the room and Chuck left her to change and go to bed. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight Carmichael."


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N:** Here ends the Casablanca arc of this story. Our favorite characters will be back soon for new adventures.

Again, thanks for the support, people. It's the best motivation and inspires me to write and update frequently.

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><p><strong>Chapter 4<strong>

Langston Graham sat back in his chair and smiled. Sam Burton had been one of his two favorite students, the other being Chuck Bartowski/Charles Carmichael. Picking up his phone, he scrolled through the contacts until he found the number he wanted and pressed the dial button.

"Hello," a deep male voice answered.

"Jack? Langston Graham here."

"Oh, how are you?"

"I'm fine. How are you and Katie doing?"

"The anniversary of Sarah's disappearance is approaching, so she's a bit depressed."

"And your other daughter?"

"Katie forced her to take a desk job at the DEA local office. She doesn't want to lose her too. You know how pissed she got when she found out what Sarah really did for a living."

"Is Katie there? I'd like to speak with you both."

"Hold on, I'll get her," Jack said. "Katie, honey, can you please come here? Langston Graham is on the phone."

"What does he want?" Katie asked irritably, walking up to Jack. She had made it abundantly clear that she wanted nothing to do with the man who sent her baby daughter on a mission from which she never returned.

"Jack, put the phone on speaker."

"Done."

"Can you guys hear me OK?"

"Yes."

"I've got some great news for you. One of my teams found Sarah. She's alive and well and currently staying with them."

Katie latched on to her husband, tears rolling down her cheeks. "Really?"

"Yes, Katie, really. She'll be on the way back home as soon as she helps tie up some loose ends. I can't say more, but I wanted to let you know. By the way, I'm really happy with this development, too."

"Can we talk to her?"

"I think the team leader can arrange for her to get time off for a personal call. I'll send him an email and let him know."

"Thank you Langston," Jack Walker said.

"You are welcome. She's in good hands now. The team that reacquired her is one of the best. Oh, I almost forgot. When they call to say they're coming home, I'll send you a couple of tickets. You can come over here and see her."

"Thank you," Katie said. "But you're not yet off the hook and neither is she."

"I kind of had it figured out, Katie. See you soon." Graham hung up with a satisfied smile on his face. Sarah Walker would not have to get a star in her honor on the memorial wall. Several people had suggested it, but he held off, claiming that he would have to see the body with his own two eyes before believing she was dead.

-o-

It was the first day in the safe house for the team and Sarah Walker, who was now known as Sam Burton. Bryce and Morgan had gone out to get some groceries and Jill to buy some clothes for their guest, while Chuck instructed them to let Sam rest. Graham had called at one point and said that he was sending them Burton's stuff from her old apartment in Marseilles. As it was only a short hop across the Mediterranean from France, they would have it within the day, especially since it was all sent via World Send, the preferred courier service for the CIA and the NSA.

For the moment, Chuck focused on listening to what the bug in Ahmad's office was picking up. Bryce had hidden a relay transmitter somewhere outside the compound and a computer was receiving the feed, recording it and producing transcripts by running it through a translation program, while simultaneously sending it all to Langley for further dissemination and analysis. So far it was all going the way they knew it would, namely with Ahmad furious over last night's events. The inside job ploy was also working, as Ahmad was heard informing Dr. Zamir that apparently Mr. Charles was the victim of a power struggle inside his organization.

On impulse he decided to check up on Sam. He opened the door of her room quietly. She was still asleep, her foot propped up on pillows, so he just left a bottle of water on the nightstand and left her alone. He worked a little longer when his computer beeped, announcing an incoming email. He read it and smiled. _She'll definitely want to hear the good news,_ he thought. Armed with that knowledge, he went back to Sam's room and knocked. There was no reply, so he considered coming back later, but in the end he let himself in anyway. The bed was empty.

"Agent Burton?"

"In here," Sam called from the bathroom.

Chuck took it as an invitation, so he went there and entered. The moment he opened the door a cloud of steam dissipated and he was treated to the sight of a gloriously naked Sarah Walker/Samantha Burton, fresh from the shower.

"Sorry," he squeaked.

"Carmichael, turn around," she almost yelled and made a grab for a towel. Blushing furiously, he complied.

"Sorry again, I didn't think…"

"No, I should have told you to wait." She quickly toweled herself dry and put on a bathrobe. "I'm decent now. That means you can turn and look at me, Carmichael."

"Oh, OK."

"Did you get a good look?" Sam teased, more to overcome her own embarrassment over the incident.

"Like I told you yesterday, I'm very respectful of women."

"What did you want?"

"I just got an email from Langley. Graham informed your parents about your status and he said they're expecting you to call them soon. I figured you'd want to know immediately."

Sam's face brightened. "Thank you Carmichael. I'll go call them now."

"Don't forget the time difference."

"Oh. Yes, you're right. I can call later."

"Come see me when you get dressed. We need to discuss some things about the mission."

"Right now all I want is coffee."

"Coffee's downstairs."

"I'll be right over."

-o-

"This one looks promising." Chuck showed Sam what he thought was a good possibility for a point of entry to Ahmad's compound.

"No, it won't work. I thought about getting out that way, but it's impossible. The skylight is fixed and doesn't open."

"Then we'll just have to find another way in."

"Ahmad is paranoid about security."

"I know, you told me last night, remember? Plus, I gathered that much myself from our meeting. Still, there must be something he has missed."

"The whole point of this exercise is getting in and out without being noticed, right?"

"It would be preferable. We can always steal his hard drive, but let's keep this as a last resort and only if we're discovered."

Sam sipped her coffee thoughtfully. "It doesn't look good."

"You were the one who lived in that place for months."

"I know," she said irritably. "And I would have escaped had I found a route out. The damn place is built like a fort."

The others finally returned from their errands and found Chuck and Sam still pondering ways to infiltrate the villa.

"Burton, I got you these," Jill said, handing Sam the bags she was carrying. "They are all the right size. I took the liberty of looking into your bag."

"Thanks."

"Any good news?" Bryce asked.

"Nope. We're stumped. There is simply no way to sneak in. We can't even take control of his computer using his outside lines, as they are shielded and virtually hack proof."

"We can parachute into the atrium." Bryce got steely glares from the two agents at the table. "I'm kidding."

"What about going in from below?" Morgan yelled from the kitchen, where he was putting away the groceries. "From what I heard going through or over the outer wall is out of the question, so shouldn't we consider an underground approach?"

"He's on to something," Sam said.

"We can hack into the local utility companies' systems to see if there are any sewer lines, utility tunnels and the like in the vicinity of the villa."

"I'm on it," Bryce said.

"Get Morgan to help. Burton and I will map out a route to and from Ahmad's office."

-o-

The team got back to work. This time there was no friction between Chuck and Sarah/Sam, as professionalism reigned supreme and helped them focus on the objective. In fact, as Bryce commented to Jill and Morgan later, they seemed to finish each other's sentences. They might be incompatible personalities, but as agents they apparently complemented each other. A World Send delivery man arrived and dropped off a large package.

"Hey Burton, you got a package," Morgan called.

"It's probably the gear she had to leave in Marseilles," Chuck said.

"How would you know something like this?"

"Oh, Graham called and let me know. You were still asleep."

"And you didn't see fit to tell me when I woke up?"

"It slipped my mind. After all, we had a lot more important matters to deal with."

She opened the package and extracted a Smith & Wesson 5906 automatic, checked it and slammed a full magazine in. "Next time, try to remember." Then she retrieved a sheath full of throwing knives as well as a wicked looking combat knife, of the kind favored by Special Forces operators.

In the end, hacking into the local databases was a bust, as most records were kept the old fashioned way, on paper. They briefly entertained the notion of having one of them – Chuck, since he was more fluent in French than the others, with the exception of Sam – pose as a researcher and dig into the records, but it would take too much time, in addition to being liable to attract unwanted attention.

Sarah also got to call her parents and sister before dinner. They were enthusiastic to hear from her. Her mother in particular was so happy that she forgot to order her home on the first flight and demand that she resign from the CIA. She finished the very long call in time to find Morgan in the kitchen cooking, while Chuck and Bryce bounced ideas off him and each other.

"Smells good," Sam said.

"Thanks," Morgan replied cheerfully. "I once wanted to be a chef, so I took lessons."

"Any progress with the other thing?"

"Unfortunately, no. Do you have any useful suggestions, Burton?"

"Sewers and tunnels still seem to be our best bet."

"Guys, why don't we find the nearest convenient tunnel and take it from there, using GPS receivers?" Jill asked. "It'll take longer, but we might catch a lucky break."

"It's worth a shot," Chuck conceded. "Burton, what do you think?"

"We don't have any other options for now."

"We'll go in tonight. Bryce and I are the infiltration team, the rest of you guys are the support team."

"No way. Larkin can stay with the support team. I'm going in with you."

"Burton…"

"Hear me out, Carmichael. You'll need someone who knows the place inside and out. And don't give me crap about directing you over the comms."

Chuck could see that she had a point. "How's your foot?"

"It's better." She was still limping a bit, but it was just a very mild Grade 1 sprain, the bruising having being caused by the foot striking a rock in the pothole and not by the sprain itself. "I can do it."

"Okay," he agreed. "But you'll have to be extra careful not to worsen it."

"No problem." She had a pair of combat boots in her gear and they could be tightly laced to provide proper support to the injured ankle. "We'll need a van though."

"There's one in the garage. This place is a designated Agency safe house, so it comes with all the necessary accoutrements."

-o-

The inconspicuous van had been parked for several hours in a street not far from Ahmad's villa and it was right over a manhole. Inside, Bryce maintained perimeter watch through a number of concealed view ports, a periscope and perimeter cameras. Jill had been left behind at the safe house, but was in constant contact with the others. Morgan was operating more surveillance gear and was also helping Chuck and Sam suit up for the job. Both were wearing one piece waterproof jumpsuits, combat boots and equipment vests. Also, their weapons were suppressed. Morgan and Bryce wished them luck as they dropped down the access shaft, Chuck going first to help his new – and hopefully temporary – partner.

"Which way now?" Sarah asked Morgan, after they took another turn.

"The GPS locator puts you approximately fifty meters from the western outer wall. Keep going." He checked their progress again a little later. "You are ten meters from the wall. Do a sweep with your goggles."

"Clear," Chuck said after looking for alarms and sensors. Clearly, Ahmad was not expecting an infiltration via the underground route. "The tunnel continues for as far as I can see."

"I dare say we got lucky. You could end up by the pool."

"Or the steam bath," Sam said. "In which case it'll be easier to go to the office."

"Not bad, Burton." She could see his smile in the light provided by their flashlights. They had spent some time earlier marking the location of rooms on the satellite photo of the villa and noting their coordinates as accurately as possible.

"Hear that?" Sam asked. "It's from the pool pumps."

"I hear it. It means we are heading in the right direction. And there is another tunnel here, heading north before bending east again."

"Take it," Morgan said. "It may be the one leading to the bath."

"It stops here," Chuck announced when they reached the end of the tunnel.

"The locator shows you directly below the bath."

"Shall we, Agent Burton?"

"Lead the way, Agent Carmichael."

Chuck climbed up the metal steps sunk into the stone wall of the tunnel and reached the grate. "Borescope, please," he told Sam. She passed him the item. "All clear," he announced after doing a sweep. Then he lifted the grate and pushed it aside. The way was now open. In short order, both were inside the villa.

"That way," Sam said and took the lead, gun at the ready. They reached the office without incident, only having to duck inside a room once when someone, probably one of the house staff passed by.

"OK, now what?" Sam asked.

"Keep an eye on the door, while I plant this little gadget here in his computer."

"Aren't we going to hack into the system or clone his hard drive?"

"It would take us too long. Trust me, this is better." Seeing her questioning look, he elaborated further. "I'll attach it to his motherboard. It'll then copy the data from the hard drive and send it to a server of our own choosing via the existing outside line."

"It's a network card, Carmichael."

"Minor correction: it looks like a run of the mill network card. I made it myself."

"Whatever."

"Now keep quiet and watch the door."

"I still say we need to clone the drive."

"Look Burton, you've been out of touch with technical developments for a while. It will work."

"Fine, just hurry up."

Chuck could take a computer apart and put it back together blindfolded. Replacing the network card with his little gadget took no time at all. He had just placed the computer back on its rack when he and Sam heard voices in the hallway outside the office.

"Quick, hide!" She grabbed him and pulled him upright, looking around for a convenient hiding place. The best they could find was the balcony, since the French windows were open. They hid under a big table. Both were a bit frustrated. Had Ahmad arrived three minutes later they'd already be on the way out.

"I wonder what they're talking about," Sam whispered.

"Me too." They could not understand Arabic, but then Chuck had an idea. "Morgan?"

"Go."

"Are you listening to them?"

"Yep. Do you want to listen in on the conversation using the real time translation?"

"Do it."

"_I don't understand why you had to wake me up, Mohammed."_

"_He__ called."_

_Ahmad realized from Dr. Zamir's tone who 'he' was. "What does he want now?"_

"_Money; he needs money, what else? Apparently there is something big in the works."_

"_Fine, fine. Where does he want me to send it and how much?"_

"_A couple of million dollars should suffice. Wire it to a bank in Peshawar, I have the account numbers here."_

"_Peshawar, huh? He finally left his hidey-hole in the Karakoram caves?"_

"Who are they talking about?" Sam whispered.

"My money's on Hassan Khalid. He's the only significant player in the region who's known to be on Ahmad's client list."

"This is big. We need to inform Graham."

"Already on it," Morgan interjected.

"They must be planning a big attack if they need that much cash," Bryce added.

"Get out of there, fast. We got what we wanted. Even better, we got a location on Khalid," Jill said.

"He's soon gonna get a Hellfire missile up his ass, courtesy of a Reaper drone," Morgan chuckled.

Chuck and Sam waited until Ahmad and Dr. Zamir left the office and then carefully made their way back to the bath, down to the tunnels and then to the van.

"Drive on, Bryce," Chuck said, plopping down on the bench seat up front. "Burton, you did well. How's the ankle?"

"It didn't bother me."

"Keep it elevated, just in case. Okay people, we'll wrap it up here and fly home first thing in the morning."

-o-

"Great job, people!" Graham said enthusiastically during the debriefing. "You all earned a few days off."

"Just a few?" Chuck commented. "By my reckoning we deserve at least a month, Boss."

"I'm with him," Sam said.

"Say one more word and you'll both be posted to McMurdo station in Antarctica for the foreseeable future. Sam, I'll arrange for your parents to fly to DC so that you'll get to see them as soon as possible. You'll have to be debriefed first, but we'll try to make it short and sweet."

"Thank you sir."

"See you soon, ladies and gentlemen. Once again, congratulations."

-o-

The following morning they were in the air heading back to the US, so Chuck, Bryce and Morgan decided to indulge in their little post mission tradition of a poker game.

"Hey Burton, are you in?" Chuck asked.

"No thanks. I think I'll try to get some more sleep. We had a late night."

"Suit yourself."

"Thanks." She went to the partitioned bedroom and closed the door behind her.

"She's still pissed at you," Jill told Chuck.

"I know, but I don't understand why."

"You wanted to send her home. In her mind, it meant that you either didn't want any 'competition' around, or, worse, that you didn't trust her."

"I was only trying to make it easier for her," he protested.

"Would you want to go home before the final curtain if you were in her shoes?"

He thought about it for a second. "No, you're right. I wouldn't."

"Well, it's over now and in all probability we'll not see her again after we get back home. You guys play your poker game now."

-o-

Upon arrival at Langley they were split up. The team was to be debriefed separately from Sam Burton, as they had not been formally debriefed after the mission in South Africa and she would have to go over certain aspects of her original assignment as well. Then all five were debriefed together about the final phase of the Casablanca mission.

"That just about covers it," Graham said, rubbing his hands together. "I believe we can call it a day. You all get two weeks vacation time. Use it well. Sam, your car is in the garage and your parents are staying at a hotel not far from here. Now go. I don't want to see your faces here for the next two weeks."

"We're outta here. Bye Boss," Chuck said. "Burton, it was nice working with you," he added politely and extended his hand.

"It was interesting," she agreed, taking the proffered hand in a firm grip. The others also bade goodbye to Sam and Graham.

"Sunny California, here we come," Morgan was heard to say as the door closed behind them.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N:** Some of the plot elements to this chapter are my homage to Balthazar497's story "Chuck Vs The New Partner", paid in the hope it'll prod him to update it soon. If you haven't already read it, I suggest you check it out. I'd have posted it sooner, even yesterday, but had to proof read it first.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 5<strong>

"Got him!"

"Be careful, dude. There's another sniper hiding in the belfry."

"I know. Can you see him?"

"Nope."

"Pop smoke. We need to get to that building over there."

"Done."

"Go, go, go!"

"Ground floor clear!"

"Stay away from the windows. This side of the building is facing the belfry."

"What are you waiting for? Pick him off."

Chuck centered the crosshairs of his Kar 43 sniper rifle on the ruins of the belfry a couple of football fields away. "Show me a smiley face… There you are… Look here, smile, wait for the flash… GOTCHA!"

Almost at the same instant, Morgan started spraying bullets from a machine gun he'd found abandoned by a window. "They're coming!"

"Shit, we're about to get flanked! Go upstairs, now!" They both crouched in a doorway, away from any windows and aimed their automatic weapons at the stairwell. Chuck was using another trophy weapon, the StG 44, while Morgan remained faithful to US tech and kept his Thompson. The opposing team made a classic noob and very grave mistake and tried to rush them, only to be met by a hail of gunfire and a couple of grenades. Bunched together as they were at the base of the stairs, they were easy meat for the two veterans.

"We got them," Morgan said.

"Not all of them," Chuck cautioned. The sound of automatic weapons fire from outside the house punctuated his words. And then it all ended.

"Someone call the cavalry?" Bryce's voice boomed from the speakers.

"You missed all the fun, man. Where the heck were you?"

"At a cousin's birthday party. Don't ask. At least I got back home in time for the grand finale."

"How's Connecticut?"

"It's nice to be with the family. But I promised Jill to join her again in LA soon."

"When can we expect you here, buddy? Ellie wants to throw us a dinner party."

"Ah, now that's a first class incentive. I'll let you know."

"Hey, a new game is up. Shall we join?"

"With the three of us here the other side is toast. They won't know what hit them."

-o-

Sarah benched her Sam Burton identity for a few days. After meeting her parents and telling them that she had two weeks off, they all flew back home. Of course, her Mom had grabbed her by the hair and almost ripped it out when she saw her for the first time in almost a year, chewed her out for keeping her real job a secret and then pulled her into a hug, Right now, she was with her sister in a club, having drinks and a good time.

"I'm not happy with you."

"Why's that?"

"You up and vanished. Then Mom learned the truth about your job and went ballistic. Next thing I know, she orders me to take up a desk job and give up being a field agent."

"Sorry," Sarah said.

"Don't be. I was kidding about being mad at you. Turns out I needed the break. And it's good to have you back, little sis. Cheers." They clinked glasses and drank.

-o-

Devon 'Captain Awesome' Woodcomb was having a great day. Chuck had once again come through for him, despite some initial and quite understandable reluctance. Right now, Ellie Bartowski was dancing in front of her boyfriend wearing a blue belly dancer's outfit Chuck had bought in Casablanca on Devon's request, who right now was feeling like a sheik in one of the many movies he'd seen over time.

-o-

Unfortunately, as far as the CIA affiliated people were concerned, this short period of rest, relaxation and fun would be cut even shorter. And it all began with a call the following morning, while Chuck was still sleeping off the wild night spent gaming online with Morgan and Bryce.

"Chuck."

*light snoring*

"CHUCK!"

"Huh?"

"Good morning Chuck."

Still sleepy and disoriented, Chuck focused on the TV in his room, only to see the image of Director Graham. "Boss, is there nothing sacred any more?"

"Get your ass in gear, boy. I need you in Langley ASAP."

"I'm on vacation."

"Not any more you ain't. Your vacation has been canceled. Something important came up and I need my best people on it. I'll brief you and your team personally. Now, get up. You have a flight to catch and it leaves in two hours. Bryce is already on the way, so it just leaves you, Jill and Morgan."

"Why me?" Chuck lamented. "I'll be there. But I want a nice extended vacation after whatever it is you are going to sick on us."

"Just get here." Graham disconnected. He had another call to make.

-o-

Throughout the flight and the subsequent drive to the CIA headquarters, Chuck, Morgan and Jill Grumbled about having their vacation so rudely interrupted. Bryce joined in the griping when they met him and made their way together to Graham's office. His secretary greeted them.

"Director Graham is expecting you, Agent Carmichael," she said. "The rest of you please wait here."

"Um, why does he want to see me only? Shouldn't we all go in?"

"He didn't say, but he'll brief all of you soon."

"OK."

"Give him Hell, buddy," Morgan said.

Chuck knocked and entered. "I'm here, Boss. What was so important to warrant cutting my vacation short?"

"Take a seat, Chuck."

Just then he noticed who else was sitting in Graham's office. _What on earth is she doing here,_ he asked himself.

_Great, him again,_ she was thinking.

"Now that you're both here, we can begin. I'm very sorry to have dragged you here, but I couldn't risk anything but a face to face talk. As I already told you, something very important came up and I need my best people on it."

"Go on, sir," she encouraged.

"We have a leak. And it needs to be plugged by any means necessary."

"Any suspects?"

"I'll get to it. Right now, I need to know what identities you two have that are still unused and not on file here."

"I'm all out, Boss," Chuck replied.

"You've used up all your cover identities?"

"What can I say? You've kept me busy."

"What about you, Sam?"

"There is one left. I've never been Eva Anderson yet."

"It's time to use it. Chuck, you'll have to create a new identity, one that only you, your team, Agent Burton and I will know about." The phone rang and Graham excused himself to answer it. "I see, thank you," he said when the caller finished speaking. "At least you have a place to start. I'm sending you both to Los Angeles."

"A domestic assignment?" Chuck asked. "We're the CIA, Boss. Domestic assignments are outside our jurisdiction."

"There are exceptions and one of them concerns internal affairs investigations."

"You're busting us down to IA?" Sam asked, mostly managing to keep her cool, with just a trace of anger in her voice.

"No, it's going to be outside the scope of the IA division."

"There is a problem, sir. A lot of people in LA know me. Using a cover identity could compromise me."

"Go by your real name then."

"WHAT?"

"Hear me out. What better place to hide a tree than in a wood? Outwardly, you'll be living a normal life, while carrying out your mission."

"I concede the point. Where does Agent Burton fit in?"

"She'll be joining you in this operation as a partner."

"Sir, I already have a team," he protested.

"I don't want a partner," she added.

"We saw how well that worked," Chuck mumbled almost inaudibly, meaning that she would not have gone missing for almost a year had she had a partner to cover her delectable ass.

"Let me finish. You'll go back to LA with your new girlfriend, Eva Anderson."

"Never happen. Sorry Boss, but it won't stick with the people who know me."

"We're incompatible enough as it is," Sam said.

"ENOUGH!" Graham bellowed. Both young agents jumped visibly in their seats. "I gave you an order and I expect you to obey. Make an excuse. Say you weren't sure about starting a relationship at first, but then you decided to give it a chance."

"But…"

"No buts." Just to drive the point home, he moved from behind his desk and kicked Sam's chair, tipping it over with her still in it. Chuck moved instinctively and grabbed her before she fell. "Much better," Graham said smugly, seeing her in Chuck's arms. "You two deserve each other. So, make nice, you're officially partners."

"Thanks," she muttered as she got up, righted her chair and sat down again.

"You're welcome," he replied. It wasn't the first time she'd been in his arms, but it always had the same effect on him. He wrote it off to simple physical attraction. Objectively, she was a very beautiful woman and a man would have to be dead not to appreciate her. Out of the corner of his eye he could see her straightening her short form fitting skirt. He couldn't know that she was inwardly cursing her sister, who had helped her pack and added that particular suit in her luggage. It complimented her, but the length of the skirt, or lack thereof, also made it kind of slutty.

"Give us the mission details, sir," she said.

"All we know so far is that several operations to shut down international arms dealers failed miserably in the past couple of months. We did a personnel shuffle just in case we could uncover the leak, but to no avail."

"There are a lot of people who have to be kept in the loop during such operations. It makes for a big suspect pool."

"Indeed," Graham agreed. "But for some reason the LA field office is involved, which is unusual. Until now we believed that all leaks originated either from Langley or DC proper."

"And you're sending us to LA to follow up on the lead in the hope we'll find a trail and follow it to whoever is sabotaging our ops."

"That's exactly what I want you to do, Chuck."

"Okay Boss. I'm in."

"Count me in, too," Sam said.

"Welcome to the team, Agent Burton, or should I say Eva?"

"Thank you, Carmichael. I only hope we'll be able to wrap it all up fast."

"It's Bartowski. My name, my real name is Chuck Bartowski."

"Bartowski… it sounds familiar." Then it came to her. "Any relation to the computer systems mogul?"

"He's my Dad. Orion Computers is the family business."

"And he moonlights for them," Graham chuckled. "What, you thought I wouldn't know? My nephew loves the game you created." He pressed the intercom button and asked his secretary to send Morgan, Bryce and Jill in. They were surprised to see Sam there and even more surprise to learn of her having been added to the team, but they welcomed her to it cordially. They all had a lot of respect for her after the Casablanca operation.

-o-

Chuck and Sam had plenty of time to prepare their cover. By the time their plane landed at Bob Hope International, they had agreed on what story to tell about how he met Eva Anderson and how they became a couple. After collecting their luggage, Bryce and Jill got in her car to go to her place, as it was getting rather late. Morgan also collected the Millennium Falcon as he had named his AMC Pacer and left as well.

"There are a few things you should know about my family, Eva," Chuck said as he unlocked his SAAB SportCombi, deliberately addressing her by her cover name. He chivalrously held the door open for her and then got in and started the engine.

"I'm listening."

"You've obviously heard of my Dad," he said, referring to the conversation in Graham's office.

She nodded. "Go on."

"You may also meet my Mom at some point. She's a great person, but she can be a little intimidating. Once you get to know her, however, I'm sure you'll hit it off." He left out the part about Sam/Eva possibly knowing his mother as well. After all, she could have attended one of her lectures either at the Farm or at Langley. "The people you'll interact more frequently with are my sister Ellie and her boyfriend Captain Awesome."

"You call him Captain Awesome?"

"His name is Devon Woodcomb, but yes, I do call him that. Everything he does is awesome. Jumping out of planes, climbing mountains, rafting… flossing…"

"What does that make you, then?"

"Excuse me?"

"Chuck, you are a spy. You've done a lot more than extreme sports."

"True, but only in the last five years. Devon was being, well, Awesome before I graduated from high school."

"That's funny."

"Well, I'm a funny guy."

"Clearly, which is good because I'm not funny."

"I hope not being funny is all that's wrong with you, Eva."

"Huh?"

"I realized it back in Casablanca when you didn't get most of the popular culture references I made with the others. So I thought she's really not funny, or she's a cannibal."

"A cannibal? Where did that come from?"

"I don't know… Maybe because I've never met one before."

"I am not a cannibal. You and your family are safe. Talk to me about your sister some more."

"Here goes: Ellie lives in the apartment next door with Awesome. She's a neurologist and he's a cardiothoracic surgeon. They met on their very first day at medical school and have been together ever since. They also work at the same place, the Westside Memorial hospital. You must also brush up your interrogation resistance skills. Ellie makes the medieval inquisitors look like rank amateurs compared to her." She gave him a funny and doubting look, but he continued anyway. "And she's the best cook I've ever known. Even Morgan, who studied at a culinary arts institute defers to her prowess. Awesome is the great guy next door, so expect no problems from him, but always watch out for Ellie. She doesn't know about my real job. She'll skin me alive for keeping it a secret from her and then she'd revive me and kill me again for becoming a spy in the first place, if she ever finds out."

"Your secret is safe with me."

"Thanks." Things were quiet in the car for a while. Then he spoke again, when they reached Franklin Street. "Home, sweet home."

"This is where you live?"

"Yep, right in the middle of exotic and mysterious Burbank." He parked, got out and held the door for her again before popping the trunk and grabbing all their bags and other luggage. He led her through a wrought iron door into a beautiful courtyard with a fountain and stopped at the door of an apartment. "Welcome to Casa Bartowski, Ms. Anderson."

"Chuck!" The squeal was all too familiar. It emanated from a beautiful tall green eyed brunette in surgical scrubs and sneakers.

"Hey sis. Guess what, I'm back!"

"I can see you're back, little brother. So I guess it wasn't a big deal."

"It was a big deal. The company got paid well."

Ellie then noticed the tall blonde who was watching the exchange with interest. "Hi, I'm Ellie, Chuck's sister. And you are…?"

"She's my girlfriend," Chuck replied.

Ellie squealed again, louder. The high pitched sound left Chuck and Sam's ears ringing.

"Sarah Walker," the blonde introduced herself before Chuck had a chance to do it for her. "Nice to meet you, Dr. Bartowski."

"Please call me Ellie. I'll go make dinner and you're both invited. Devon will be home soon, too. Chuck, I want to hear all about how you two met."

"OK sis, just holler when it's ready. Come on, Sarah." He remembered to use the same name she had. "Let's go leave our stuff inside." The moment the door closed behind him, he grabbed her arm, spun her around and shoved her on the couch.

"Chuck, what's the matter with you?" Sam/Eva/Sarah asked. She was shocked at his behavior.

"Are you trying to blow the mission?" Chuck hissed.

"What? Why are you saying that?"

"You are supposed to be Eva Anderson. Where did this Sarah Walker crap come from?"

She looked at the carpeted floor and took a deep breath, mustering her courage. "It's my name," she said quietly.

"Come again?"

Sarah looked up at him. "Sarah Walker is my real name, Chuck. It's who I really am. You revealed your real name to me, opened your home to me and introduced me to your family. I thought it's only fair to extend the same courtesy to you. I should have thought about it sooner, so that I could have told you."

He immediately regretted his harsh behavior and sat down next to her. "Sarah, I'm sorry, I didn't know."

"It's OK, Chuck."

"And since I'm already apologizing, I'd like to do the same for the way I acted in Casablanca. I thought you'd welcome the chance to go home to your loved ones after a year's absence, but didn't take into account that you wanted to see the mission through to the end. I would too, if I were in your place. It wasn't about being the big fish in the pond or not trusting you. Graham was quite adamant about the latter, as he said you'd never betray the CIA, and I believe him."

"Apology accepted, Chuck."

"Partners?" He extended his hand.

"Partners," she confirmed and they shook on it.

"Great. Do you want the shower first?"

"No, go ahead. I think I'll take a few minutes to unpack."

"In that case, let me show you around the apartment."

She found it to be a typical bachelor pad with a definite nerdy streak both in the décor, namely movie and game posters, especially the Tron poster in the bedroom, the comics, computers, gaming systems and memorabilia from movies and Comic Con, whatever that was. It revealed a lot about its owner. If Sarah had to describe it, she'd say it was warm and homey. Nerdy too, let's not forget that.

Not much later, Chuck walked into his room, clad only in a towel. She looked up from a book she'd found lying on his desk and let her eyes roam over his body. He was much better looking shirtless, as he had a definition clothing had a tendency to hide.

"Oops, sorry Sarah, I'm used to having the place all to myself."

"Hey, no problem. Besides, we're supposed to be a couple, which means we can't be blushing when seeing each other mostly naked." After all, he'd seen her _completely_ naked. "Do you think I have time for a bubble bath? I find it very relaxing and it helps me focus."

"Uh, sure, take your time. Ellie's probably in full hostess mode right now, so she'll be laying a good spread."

"Okay then. Let me know if she calls us."

"I will. Enjoy your bath."

"Thanks."

"Sarah?"

"Yes?"

"I know we have already rehearsed our story, but I think you should know I'm not really very comfortable with PDA in front of my family."

"Me neither, but we'll work something out."

"Glad you think so."

-o-

Sarah finally emerged from the room fully clothed again. Chuck had recommended a casual outfit, so she chose to wear dark jeans and a sleeveless purple top. "How do I look?"

"You look fantastic. Let's go, Ellie and Devon are waiting."

"OK."

"And remember: No matter what happens, don't freak out."

"Chuck, it's just dinner with your sister."

"Why do you think I'm dreading it so much? Well, let's go face the music. Shall we, Ms. Walker?"

She looped her arm through his and smiled. "By all means, Mr. Bartowski."


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N:** I'm really happy you like the development of the story up to this point. Since I finished this one sooner than anticipated, I thought you might appreciate an early update. Here goes:

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 6<strong>

Over dinner, Chuck and his new 'girlfriend' were subjected to relentless questioning by Ellie, which Devon was unable to moderate in any way, though not for lack of trying. As for the faux couple, they stuck to the cover, telling the inquisitive sister that they had met some time ago, gone out a few times and finally decided to take a chance at a relationship, but they agreed to take it slow, at least at first. Eventually, Ellie found the answers satisfactory and left them in relative peace, but could not resist sneaking glances at them and fighting to hold back joyous squeals.

As they returned to Chuck's apartment, a slightly tipsy Sarah decided that she liked Chuck Bartowski better than Charles Carmichael. Chuck was having similar thoughts: Sarah Walker was a cut above Samantha Burton and her other on-the-job incarnations, like Elana Truffaut and Eva Anderson. She was more… genuine, for lack of a better word.

"What a night," remarked Sarah as she plopped down on the bed.

"You handled yourself well in there."

"Thank you, Chuck. And I believe I owe you an apology for doubting your assessment of Ellie's interrogation skills. Do you think we can convince Graham to hire her?"

"I like my head where it is, thank you very much. And if you have an ounce of self preservation, you'll make sure Ellie is kept in the dark for all eternity about what we do for a living. I don't want to spend the rest of my life and my afterlife on the run from my sister."

"You're pretty eloquent and imaginative for someone who downed so much beer in one evening."

"That was nothing compared to how much I could drink back in Stanford."

"I wouldn't know. I went to Harvard myself." She got up and moved to the closet, where her suitcases were. She pulled her top off and wiggled out of her jeans, before finding a comfortable t-shirt and a pair of basketball shorts and putting them on.

Chuck looked up and saw her as she was with her back to him, in just her bra and panties, bending forward to put on her shorts. "Hi-oh!"

"What? I'm getting changed for bed. We have a cover and we need to stick to it."

"Of course," he agreed, quickly changing into his own sleepwear.

She slipped under the covers. "Goodnight Chuck."

"Goodnight Sarah."

He was used to having beautiful women sleeping next to him, so it puzzled him why he sleep eluded him tonight. At least she wasn't hogging the covers. With a sigh, he turned on his side facing away from her and soon drifted off into a peaceful slumber.

-o-

He got up first in the morning and went about performing his morning rituals, also going out to buy some things for breakfast. As he returned to the room to put a suit on, he noticed how peacefully Sarah was sleeping. The last time he'd seen her asleep, she looked and probably was ready to spring into action on a moment's notice, but now she appeared more relaxed. The big window, aka the Morgan Door, was open and he heard voices in the courtyard. Ellie and Awesome were leaving for work. Thinking quickly, he crouched next to Sarah and, after offering a quick prayer to whatever deity was listening regarding the continued safety of his manhood, among other things, brushed his lips on her cheek.

"Sarah, wake up," he said gently.

"Not yet," she whined.

"Please?"

An eye popped open and looked at him, perhaps surprised by the intimacy. He motioned with his eyes towards the courtyard and she promptly sneaked a peek. Sure enough, Ellie was watching, so Sarah slipped effortlessly into the part of Chuck's girlfriend. "Good morning, Chuck," she said and stretched languidly. Ellie beat a quick retreat, or rather very reluctantly allowed herself to be pulled away by her boyfriend. "All clear," Sarah added.

"They're gone?"

"Yes."

"Good. Sorry for the whole thing, but I had to sell the cover."

"Hey, you were just doing your job."

"Would you like some breakfast? I have coffee and chocolate croissants."

"Did you say chocolate croissants?"

"Yep, freshly baked."

"Move over." She was up and gone in a blink of an eye, heading for the kitchen.

"She likes chocolate croissants," he mused and made a mental note to visit the little bakery down the street more often. A happy partner is an efficient partner, he reasoned.

-o-

"Watching the field office from here won't cause the solution to magically appear, you know," Bryce remarked. The entire team was gathered in an office across the street from the local CIA facility.

"There is not much we can do until the necessary equipment is delivered," Sarah shot back.

"Aside from renting this office for us, Graham granted us funding from one of the secret accounts to buy all other stuff we'll need, plus he diverted some first class equipment for 'training' use. Morgan will go pick it up tomorrow," Chuck explained

"He's also sending us files on everyone that works there," Morgan piped up.

"Right now we have to make this place look like a functional office," Sarah added.

"And come up with a convincing cover business. In all the haste of sending us on this mission, Graham forgot this detail."

"Let's see. Chuck is a computer whiz. I'm quite adept in finance and e-banking, Jill's a biochemist, Morgan is a chef…"

"And logistics expert," Morgan added.

"That too, plus Sarah is… What are you, actually?"

"I studied law in Harvard and I also have a degree in marketing."

"We can be business consultants. Like, say, someone comes to us and asks for help setting up a new enterprise of one kind or another. We got people to give advice on finance, electronics and networking, legal advice, logistics, workplace health and safety…"

"Chuck, buddy, you are a genius," Bryce said enthusiastically. It's exactly the kind of work that will allow us to be away from the office any time of the day without raising suspicions."

"Sounds good. But we still need a name for our company."

"Yes, we need to work on it. Tell you what, we can all come up with suggestions and we'll then compare them and choose the best."

"There is one more matter requiring our immediate attention," Morgan said seriously. "Lunch."

"Take out?" Jill asked.

Chuck turned to the logistics expert. "Morgan?"

"A new place opened not far from here, offering a variety of meals, cooked home style, and the prices are very reasonable, too. Can I borrow your laptop?"

"Morgan has a black belt in dumplings," Chuck explained to Sarah as he handed over the computer. "He knows the best places to find good food for less than ten bucks."

"We all make use of his talent," Bryce added.

"Found it. Take a look at the menus and write down your preferences. Their web ordering page is not up yet, so we'll order the old fashioned way, by phone. I've already decided."

"Okie-dokie," Chuck said cheerfully. "In the meantime, as our logistics expert, you take care of the furniture, little buddy. Just try to remember that we don't exactly have an unlimited budget."

"No problemo, amigo. If the ladies are willing to help with the décor, to make the whole deal look more convincing…"

"What do you say, Sarah?" Jill asked.

"I say we can do it."

-o-

Just a few days later, the cover business was up and running. During that time, they went over the files of every agent, analyst and technician working at the local field office, trying to narrow down the suspect pool. They had already ruled out other agencies as the source of the leak. The tip-offs to the arms dealers had to have come from the CIA, no one else had access to so much information.

"Maybe it's not someone in the LA division," Chuck said, putting down the file he was reading.

"We are monitoring every communication in and out of the building, plus Graham sent a team to do an unannounced sweep for listening devices and communication line taps just in case. They found nothing, not in the offices, not in the electronics rooms and not on the outside lines," Bryce agreed.

"Could they have done it the same way Chuck tapped into Ahmad's computer in Casablanca?" Sarah theorized.

"My bug was custom made, not standard Agency issue. The only people who know of its existence are the five of us here. I never mentioned it and the method of its use in my reports either. And Graham's team would have found something."

"Scratch that, then. I went through the travel arrangements for everyone in there for the past year. Several visited Langley and DC, but the time frames are wrong. No way could any of them blow all the operations, as many did not involve the LA office."

"Damn. There are too many variables here. Suppose the mole sees the information at work and then goes home or to an internet café, or even to a place with free wi-fi. Then they could use an internet texting service, which, as we know, are untraceable, especially those based outside the US. And if the message is in code, not even the NSA can flag it for further analysis, even if they intercept it, since it most likely lacks the usual trigger words. Hell, they don't even need to send a message. All they have to do is type and save a private message as a draft in a chat room or an internet forum. The accomplice with access to the same user account could then read and delete the message."

Sarah gave him a funny look.

"What? I'm a Professional Nerd. Correction, I'm a Professional Nerd Spy."

All laughed.

"It's almost five," Sarah said. "We should be going." Then she thought of something. "Chuck, can I talk to you in private?"

"Sure, step into my office."

She followed him to the office and, wanting to keep it as casual and informal as possible, sat on the couch. He joined her there after grabbing two sodas, one for her and one for himself.

"Chuck," she began. "Don't take this the wrong way, but shouldn't I find a place of my own? We told everyone that we're taking it slow and me living with you gives the exact opposite message to people."

"What do you suggest we tell people? That you stayed with me while looking for a place of your own?"

"It's only been a few days."

"Am I that boring?"

"No, no, Chuck, you are wonderful company and I dare say the perfect roommate. Hell, you even cook. But…"

"Sarah, I understand. It's just… Man, it's hard. The reason, the two reasons actually I originally objected to using my real name for this job live right next door."

"Ellie and Devon," Sarah stated.

"Yes. I want to keep them out of it, for as long as I can. They both bought the cover, and here lies the problem, Sarah. They both love you. They have told me that in so many words. If you go, Ellie will think we are having problems."

"I could tell her that living together makes it hard to stick to our agreement to take it slow."

"Naw, it wouldn't work. She'd do everything in her power to help us forget about taking it slow."

"I'm really sorry, Chuck. It's always a bad idea to have a mission intersect our private lives. I understand what you're going through right now."

"So, what do we do?"

"We can break up our cover relationship, but agree to stay friends." Privately, Sarah had already considered the option. Being around Chuck Bartowski and not Charles Carmichael was having a profound effect on her and she didn't know how to handle it. Little did she know that he also entertained similar thoughts since he began to get to know the real her.

He laughed bitterly. "Then I'm a dead man. Ellie will be sure to blame any breakup on me. Being the big sister, she can't help but think it's always my fault when something bad happens. And us breaking up will definitely be bad in her book."

"I also have a big sister, so I can sympathize," Sarah confessed. She carefully weighed her options. She liked Ellie immensely and didn't want to hurt her feelings. She'd always had a funny feeling about this assignment and now she knew why. The line between personal and professional was becoming more blurry with every passing day, while she was used to seeing it clear. She was so focused on thinking that she didn't hear Chuck talking to her.

"Hello-o. Earth to Sarah!"

"Sorry, I guess I was thinking too hard."

"There's no such thing as thinking too hard in this business."

"Whatever. Chuck, you're right. We can't jeopardize the cover, not now when we've just established it. I think we need to take it to the next level. We need to make love."

He just about choked on his soda. "Wha-what," he spluttered.

"Or let everyone else think we took the plunge."

"Hmmm… Yes, it could work. It'd certainly get Ellie off my back. But we'll need to be more affectionate towards each other in front of her and Awesome."

"I've had to fake affection to people far more unlikable than you, Chuck. I think we can manage."

"So do I."

"Agreed. Should we tell the others? They too play a part in maintaining our cover."

"Leave it to me."

-o-

"We are ready for this. We can do this, we are both professionals," Sarah repeated the mantra to herself. She was with Chuck in the courtyard, waiting to put their plan into action. And they were both rather nervous. It bordered on the comical, actually. He had wooed many ladies in the line of duty. She had repeatedly used her wiles to make men bow down to her every wish. Two professionals, the best in their field and they were worried about something as simple as faking affection to each other. It was probably due to both feeling guilty for having to deceive Ellie and Devon. Still, it had to be done and they'd stick to the plan.

"They're coming."

"Let's get the show on the road," Sarah said and took a deep breath, before sitting on Chuck's lap and wrapping her arms around him, their foreheads and noses touching. To the casual observer, they looked just like any other happy couple. Ellie and Devon certainly got that impression when they saw them.

"Don't mind us, guys," Ellie said when they looked up. "Carry on."

Awesome just smiled and gave Chuck and Sarah a thumbs-up.

Ellie popped out from behind the door. "Mom and Dad will be coming for dinner tonight. I just thought you should know."

"We'll be there. Thanks, sis."

"I think it's safe to say we sold it," Sarah said, not moving from her position.

"Just in case Ellie's watching, hang on," he told her, scooped her up and carried her to his – 'their' now – room through the open Morgan Door.

-o-

Sarah had been again cornered by Ellie during the pre-dinner cocktails, while the men were busy discussing the relative merits of several flat screen TVs, as Awesome and Ellie wanted to get one as a joint present for their upcoming anniversary.

"I don't understand why you two decided to take it slow, Sarah. It's fairly obvious to everyone that you are very much into each other. And from what I saw today…"

"Look, Ellie, we didn't know, and to an extent still don't, if it's all going to work out between us. Getting a job here was a lucky break for us, but given the uncertain beginning of our relationship, we decided to be reserved, at least until we manage to establish a normal routine here."

"Are you telling me, in all seriousness, that despite spending every night in the same bed with my brother…?"

"We've done nothing but sleep," Sarah replied honestly. She was saved from further questioning by a knock on the door. Devon answered and a middle aged couple entered.

"Mom, Dad, I don't know if Ellie told you, but there is someone I want you to meet." He took Sarah's hand and gently pulled her by his side. "This is my girlfriend, Sarah Walker. Sarah, meet Stephen and Mary Bartowski, my parents."

If she was shocked to see the famous Agent Frost, one of her role models while she was in the Farm, Sarah managed to hide it. "It's nice meeting you," she said in a mostly normal tone.

"The pleasure is all ours, Sarah dear," Mary said. There was something familiar about the young woman in front of her. She was sure she'd seen her somewhere before. Then it came to her. Chuck would have a few things to answer for, this girl Sarah, too.

Having been forced to devote attention to her parents, Ellie mostly laid off questioning the faux couple. After dinner, it was another matter. Mary took Chuck and Sarah aside.

"You two come with me, now," she commanded. Obediently, Chuck and Sarah followed her to the courtyard, where she turned to face them. "I remembered you, Agent Burton. What are you doing here with my son?"

"Mom, we're on a special assignment, and the relationship is a cover. I had no choice but to use my real name here, since using an alias could be counterproductive in the extreme. Sarah is my partner."

"Graham reshuffled your team?"

"He added Sarah to it. Before you ask, it's her real name, too."

"I could not continue using a cover identity while your son went by his real name and opened his home to me," Sarah said.

"You have a unique sense of decency for a spy, dear."

"Thank you. I owe Chuck a lot. He helped a lot getting me out of a fix in Morocco."

"Director Graham once told me about Agent Burton's disappearance. You see, Chuck, we met at a lecture I gave once. She had interesting questions and remarks and I was happy to discuss them with her. I knew right then and there that she'd become a good agent. Tell me about your assignment."

Chuck looked at Sarah. "We could use some pointers. Sometimes, an outsider's perspective is very useful to have."

"I agree. And your mother is certainly someone who can give excellent advice."

So, they told Mary about their mission to find a leak and plug it – permanently. She listened attentively, occasionally asking questions about the procedures being followed during the investigation. She was satisfied with the answers she got and she also noted how much in sync Chuck and Sarah were, professionally.

"So far you are doing great. It may take you some time, but you'll figure it out, eventually."

"Thanks Mom."

"But there is something you all missed."

"What?" Sarah asked.

"You said you checked the travel plans of all personnel based here. What about those from Langley traveling here, and not only for matters pertinent to the blown ops?"

"Mrs. Bartowski, you are a genius!"

Chuck fished his phone out of a pocket. "I'll let the others know. First thing tomorrow, we'll follow up on your suggestion, Mom. Sarah's right, you know. You are a genius."

"Thank you both. Now, can I ask you a question of both a personal and professional nature?" Mary said after Chuck finished making calls.

"Shoot."

"When it's all over, I suppose you'll both take up other assignments. Assuming Graham does not keep you two together as partners, which in my honest opinion would be foolish in the extreme, how are you going to explain it all to Ellie? She really likes Sarah, and I think she'll be very disappointed if you break up your cover relationship."

"Damn! We didn't think of that. Of course, we could tell her that Sarah got a great job offer and had to move out of town."

"Chuck you were right to be apprehensive about the mission's intrusion into your real life, but only now I realize how screwed up the whole deal is. I'm truly sorry."

"Look on the bright side, kids. You obviously work well together. Temporary arrangement or not, Graham would be a fool to split you up, like I said."

"But what if Sarah meets someone she really likes? Wouldn't I be ruining it for her?"

"Spies don't fall in love, Chuck. It's the cardinal rule."

"If they can stay in love, and I'm using Bryce and Jill as an example, they can fall in love."

"They do, Sarah," Mary added her two cents' worth. "Stephen and I met and fell in love while on the job. When the time comes, even the best agents are not immune to it."

**TBC**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N:** I didn't keep you waiting too long for the update, did I? I hope this chapter lives up to your expectations. I also have to say that I'm really enjoying discussing various aspects of the story and the plot with you, either responding to reviews, or via private message exchange. It is refreshing and it helps me strive to be better at writing. Thank you all for this.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 7<strong>

Chuck woke up in an empty bed and yawned. _Strange that Sarah woke up first,_ he thought. _She's not really a morning person._ Shrugging, he went to the bathroom and knocked. There was no reply and in fact no sounds were coming from inside, which meant it was unoccupied. He took a quick shower, brushed his teeth and went to get dressed for another day at the office. A most heavenly smell reached his nostrils and he followed it to the kitchen. Sarah was there, in her pink satin nightgown. And she was… cooking.

She turned to acknowledge his presence. "Good morning Chuck."

"Good morning. What are you doing here?"

"What does it look like I'm doing?" She waved a hand over the mess she'd made in the kitchen. "I'm cooking breakfast. Take a seat, it'll be ready soon."

"Don't tell me you're enjoying this whole Martha Stewart thing."

"Is there anything wrong with contributing to housekeeping chores? We are, after all, roommates," she said as she chopped some herbs.

"Careful, Agent Walker. One day you might actually turn into a real girl."

"Oh, shut up. Here, dig in." She leaned back against the counter, enjoying some fruit and waiting for Chuck to voice his opinion on the breakfast omelet he was eating.

"It's, um, for lack of a better word, fantastic."

"My Mom's recipe," she admitted.

"Flawlessly executed."

"Thank you. If you'll excuse me, I'll go get dressed and then take a cab to Union Station. Graham is sending my car over from DC."

"I'll drive you," he offered. "Don't forget we're supposed to be a couple. As your 'boyfriend' it's one of the things I'm expected to do for you."

"Good thinking. And thanks. I'll take you up on your offer."

-o-

During the drive from Echo Park to Union Station, she was looking out the window, thinking about what Frost had said after dinner the previous night. _It's fine and all, but am I capable of falling in love? Chuck's a nice guy, but the two of us together? Nah, it'd never work. We're completely different. But then again, I think his Mom was speaking generally, and not referring to the two of us specifically. Maybe I'll ask her sometime how she was able to balance job, relationship and, subsequently, family… just out of curiosity._ Unbeknownst to her, Chuck was thinking much along the same lines. The difference was that he was always hoping to meet someone special one day, but he could never for the life of him imagine that someone being Sarah Walker. He liked her, a lot; a lot more than he was willing to admit at this stage. _Does she, or indeed can she, like me the way I'm starting to like her? She was pretty unequivocal about adhering to the rule. Even worse, are we even compatible? Professionally, yes; personally, who knows? Stop thinking like that, idiot. You two have a job to do and you can't afford to lose focus. You'll have all the time in the world to think about it after the mission._

"Nice car," he commented when it was rolled off the railcar, the first words he uttered since parking his own car and going to collect hers: a sleek black Porsche Boxster.

"Thanks. She's my baby. I bought her dirt cheap at a DEA auction. Race you to the office? Nah, I'm kidding."

"You better be." LA traffic was atrocious and Graham would probably not take a call from LAPD telling him that two of his people were arrested for reckless driving well.

Instead of replying, Sarah opened the door and got in, savoring the feel of the supple leather seats, eager to turn the key in the ignition and listen to the sound of the engine. He just closed the door for her and went to his own car.

Not long later, they parked the two cars in a lot near their office building and started walking to the office, when Chuck had an idea.

"Sarah, do you think we should start carpooling in the mornings?"

"It's not a bad idea, come to think of it. I mean, we work together and we live together. It'd look weird if we took both cars to get to the same place. Plus, it'll help the cover."

"Indeed," he agreed and then changed the subject. "Do you think Graham will have sent us the files we requested yesterday?"

"Could be," she replied after thinking it over. "You know he'd have to be discreet about it."

"Sure, we wouldn't want to tip anyone off." Chuck's phone rang, which turned out to be extremely fortuitous. "Hello."

"Bryce here."

"Go."

"I have a favor to ask. Can you please tell Sarah to get Jill something from the pharmacy?"

"Like what?"

Bryce sounded somewhat awkward when he replied. "Uh, you know, _stuff_."

"Stuff?"

"Feminine products, man."

"Hold on." He turned to Sarah. "It's Bryce. Jill needs some things from the pharmacy."

"Tell him to have her text me with exactly what she needs."

"Can't you just go in and buy…?"

"Chuck." Sarah realized she would have to patiently explain some things to him. "Each girl has her own preferences regarding brand, texture and the like."

"Got it. Bryce, Sarah says to text her with exactly what Jill wants."

"I'm on it, man. Thank Sarah for us, will you?"

"Wilco. Sarah, Bryce and Jill say thanks."

-o-

While waiting for her outside the pharmacy, he purchased a gaming magazine from a news stand and was idly leafing through it. He heard the soft jangle of the bell above the pharmacy door and turned to see her come out, carrying a small bag with the stuff for Jill.

"I'll never understand why men are always so grossed out by this," she said, as they headed for the office.

"There are lots of things we don't understand about women, so I guess we're even," he shot back.

She opened her mouth to voice an appropriate response, but the words died in her throat as she saw someone she'd seen before exiting a sports car, not ten meters from them. "Chuck?"

"I saw him."

The man in question could only be going to one place: the CIA facility. And he knew both Carmichael and Burton. Sarah reacted immediately. There was only one way for the man not to see their faces. She grabbed Chuck, pulled him down to her and pressed her lips against his. After the initial surprise, he responded, circling his arms around her and pulling her closer. Then something happened. Their lips parted, on their own accord it seemed, and the simple lip-pressing they originally intended turned into a full-blown French kiss. Their hands were cupping each other's cheeks, hiding their facial features. They kept it up even after the man passed them without a second glance in their direction. Finally, they broke it off, but only after the need for air became pressing.

As they stood there, panting heavily, Sarah was the first to speak. "Well, he's gone now and I don't think he recognized either of us. And the bad news is that this is kind of an uncomfortable moment right now."

"It was completely comfortable on my end. Just saying," Chuck replied, hoping he could lighten the mood.

It worked, because she laughed. "Men," she said, shaking her head.

"Come on, we need to call it in." He wrapped an arm around her waist and led her to their office building. The others were waiting upstairs. Jill took the stuff Sarah had bought for her and disappeared to the bathroom.

"I suppose you have a good explanation for the game of tonsil hockey we just watched," remarked Bryce.

"Did you see a black Tesla Roadster near us?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Did you get a look at the driver?"

"His back was turned."

"It was Dane Windsor."

"Code name Blackbriar," Sarah added.

"I recall reading about an operation Windsor, but not about any Dane Windsor."

"It was his cover name for that particular operation," Chuck explained. "It was before our time, but it's required reading at the Farm. He was also the guest speaker at a lecture in Langley a couple of years back and he was using the same alias."

"Does he know you?"

"It's possible. I did ask him a couple of questions at the lecture."

"What about you, Sarah?"

"I supported his team in France once, but we didn't interact on a personal level, but he could still recognize me. Hence the 'kiss'. We had to keep him from seeing us."

"He is not mentioned as being in any way affiliated with the local field office."

"No, in fact his code name is not in any file Graham sent us," Morgan confirmed. "I'll double check and then take a look at his current status," he added and hurried to his computer station.

While waiting for Morgan to find what he was looking for, Sarah kept stealing glances at Chuck. She kissed him. He responded. They both went a step further from having just a pretend kiss. It didn't feel entirely wrong to her, and she suspected it was the same for him. Living together had affected them both, apparently, and only now were they realizing how much.

"Well?" Chuck asked when Morgan looked up from the computer.

"Dude, Blackbriar, aka Dane Windsor, aka Daniel Shaw is not supposed to be here. According to this, he's on vacation."

"Pull up all his travel arrangements, leave time and the like for the time frame Graham specified," Sarah suggested.

"Don't forget a list of operations he took part in," Bryce said.

"If you're willing to wait a couple of minutes, I'll project it all on the conference room screen."

"You know where to find us, little buddy." Chuck picked up his coffee mug and made himself comfortable at the conference table, the others following suit.

"OK, I've uploaded everything." The huge screen came on and the information was presented in neat columns. They all took a minute to read it and then started making their observations.

"He was involved in only one of the blown operations."

"Yeah, but it was the very first one."

"My gut says he blew it."

"He wasn't even in Langley when the other operations went down."

"No, he was on leave during one."

"And he was lecturing at a training seminar during the other."

"Guys, you're looking at this the wrong way. If he's our man, he could have learned the details while still in Langley and passed them on, either by himself, or, as I am inclined to believe, through an accomplice."

"Chuck's right. It's the only scenario that actually makes sense," agreed Jill.

"He's currently supposed to be on leave, so he shouldn't be here," Sarah said.

"I'll call the Bossman, just in case he sent this guy here to conduct another aspect of the investigation, in which case he should have forewarned us."

-o-

"Graham didn't send him, which makes him our prime suspect," Chuck announced after speaking with their boss.

"What are our orders?"

"He said and I quote 'don't let him out of your sight and find out who his accomplice is'. He also said something about sending us all to McMurdo until mandatory retirement if we screw this up."

"The threat is getting kind of old. He's been saying that since we first became a team," Bryce said.

"Has he ever threatened you with something similar, Sarah?"

She smiled. "As a matter of fact he has."

"Where did he say he'd send you?"

"Depends on the case, but he has mentioned Kabul, Siberia and Tierra Del Fuego among other places."

"At least he's been giving you plenty of options." Laughter followed Morgan's statement.

"Enough joking, people. Back to the job at hand, I wonder why Shaw risked everything and went to meet his contact at the office."

"Sarah's right. It doesn't make sense, unless they're in for a big payday," Jill said.

"Well, there is an operation about to begin."

"How do you know that, Chuck?"

"I hacked into Graham's computer."

"Are you crazy? You can get us all fired or worse!"

"Sarah, relax. I told him all about it. I wanted to see if it were possible for someone to get the details that way."

"Apparently it is."

"Not really, as I had to use a very unique program to make it past all the firewalls. And even that left a trace signature. The Boss and I went over the logs and found it."

"Did you find any other hacking traces?"

"Nope. The leak is exclusively HUMINT." Then he had an idea. "Morgan, can we tap into the security feeds of the local office?"

"I don't think so. The building security is a breeze to hack, but the field office is on a closed system."

"Pull up all surveillance videos from the time we first saw him until now."

"What are we looking for?"

"Where he went, of course." A few minutes later, Chuck's suspicions were confirmed. Shaw went nowhere near the floors the LA field office occupied. Instead, a camera caught him entering another office.

"As soon as he's out, I'm going in and toss the place," Bryce said, reading Chuck's mind.

"We'll follow him," Sarah said.

-o-

Stakeouts were boring. Hours upon hours of tedium spent with the hope of action. Both Chuck and Sarah knew it as they sat in the van, watching the Roosevelt Hotel where their prime suspect was staying. Meanwhile, Bryce had called to tell them that he had found something interesting in the office he searched. Apparently someone had decoded some sort of message in there and had not been sufficiently careful in getting rid of the evidence. Said evidence pointed to Shaw as being the leak, as it pertained to one of the previously compromised operations. When Bryce and Jill finally arrived to take over the surveillance tasks, Shaw decided to go for a walk. They followed him, while Chuck and Sarah took the opportunity and broke into the suspect's room, bugging it to the hilt.

"Let's go home," Chuck suggested when they were done.

"You go ahead. I'll meet you there later."

"OK. Where are you going?"

"It's personal."

"Fine. See you soon."

-o-

Carina Miller entered apartment 832 of the Maison 23. Sighing, she kicked off her high heels and dumped her suit jacket and purse on the couch. Just then a light came on. Her reflexes were lightning fast and she drew a Walther PPK from a holster on her thigh.

"Dammit, Sarah! I could have killed you." Carina noticed that her baby sister was slumped in a comfortable armchair, contemplatively nursing a large bourbon. "Sarah, sweetie, what's wrong?"

"I kissed my partner today."

"Congratulations."  
>"I'm not kidding, Carina. It was the easiest way to hide both our faces from a mark, but…"<p>

"But what?"

"It turned into a kiss-kiss from the pretend-kiss it started as."

"Was there tongue?"

Sarah nodded miserably.

"You got the hots for your partner?"

"I don't know!" Sarah exclaimed, clearly frustrated. "When I first met him, I got the impression he was arrogant, selfish and condescending. But after I got to know him better…"

"Start at the beginning. Exactly who is this new partner of yours?"

"Charles Carmichael," Sarah replied.

"_The_ Charles Carmichael?"

"You know him?"

"We worked together once. He's good and he has a good team."

"He was the one who found me in Casablanca."

"You know, I tried to seduce him when we worked together."

"And?"

"And despite my best efforts, he turned me down."

"That's a first."

"Yeah, but as it turned out he was right. The job was still not over and he got another assignment immediately after we finally completed the mission, so I never had a second chance with him. You're lucky to be working with him."

"I know. We are supposed to be a couple and we're staying together for this mission. I also met his parents. You won't believe who his mother is."

"Try me."

"Frost," Sarah said simply.

"No way!"

"It's true."

"The spy gene runs in Chuckles' family, it seems. That's how his friends call him, Chuck."

Sarah downed the rest of her bourbon. "Uh-huh. I know. I too call him Chuck. But the information I just revealed to you is not to leave this room."

"Listen to me, Sarah. I worked with him long enough to read between the lines and get to know what kind of man the guy pretending to be Charles Carmichael is. He's basically the nice guy next door, if you leave everything job related out. He's a lot like you in that respect. Neither one of you is made for this kind of life, but somehow you're the best. Charles Carmichael and Samantha Burton may be liable to go for each other's throat, but Chuck and Sarah are a different matter. I know both your aspects and I've seen his normal persona surface on occasion. My advice to you is this: Let things take their course, but when the moment comes, don't fight it."

"Thanks for the talk, sis, I needed it."

Carina hugged her sister. "Don't be scared. In all probability, he's as scared about it as you are. Now, go do your job."

-o-

Sarah returned to the Bartowski residence to find her partner/cover boyfriend going over a file on his laptop. He looked up as he heard her walk into the courtyard and smiled. "Hey Sarah."

She stepped inside through the open Morgan Door. "You know, for a spy you are a little careless, leaving this window open like this."

"Not really. It's only open when I'm here."

"What are you reading?"

"Graham sent us Shaw's file, the complete one, including all the information redacted from the one we already had. It's quite interesting. Feel free to take a look while I take care of dinner."

"Can I help?"

"No need to, everything is under control."

"Let me know when you're ready."

"Okie-dokie."

Sarah smiled, took her shoes off, sat on the bed and picked up the laptop. Chuck was right. It made for an interesting read. Something in the file caught her eye. As she kept reading, she turned white as a sheet and had some difficulty breathing. "It can't be," she muttered. "No, it's impossible."

"Sarah!" Chuck called from the kitchen. "Dinner's ready!"

She quickly put her game face back on. "Coming!" She closed the laptop, took a deep breath and joined Chuck, hoping he wouldn't notice anything off about her.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: **Hehe, for Charah shippers Shaw's character seems to be like Erich Von Stroheim's roles from a bygone era: The man everybody loves to hate. Rest assured my friends, there will be more Shate in this chapter, which I hope you'll find funny. And I have a small surprise for you all, a small thank you for all your generous support.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 8<strong>

_Elana Truffaut kept walking purposefully down the street. It was a cold night and her hands were stuffed for warmth inside the pockets of her leather overcoat, but the right hand was resting on the cold steel of a pistol, ready to draw it at a moment's notice. The target should be coming in sight soon. Her heels clicked on the cobblestones as she quickened her pace. Once again, she went over her tasking order: Kill the enemy operative as soon as she appeared. Sarah/Sam/Elana had never had to kill anyone before, but she believed she was ready. Her actions tonight would help save lives, the lives of innocent people as well as fellow agents. 'Never think of your targets as human, try to visualize them as your opponents in the simulator, or the - realistic looking - dummies at the firing range. It makes it easier to pull the trigger', the instructors at the Farm used to say. _

_Someone rounded a bend and started walking down the same street, in the opposite direction. Elana recognized the woman as her target. As she came closer, the shrill ring of a cell phone pierced the stillness of the night. The woman moved to take it out of her purse, but the bracelet she was wearing caught on one of the purse's straps, breaking the clasp and causing it to fall off her wrist. Muttering a curse, the woman bent down to pick it up and stuffed it in the purse, before groping blindly for the still ringing phone. Elana did not shoot while her target was on her knees, but when she finally got up, it was time for action. Elana whipped around, drawing her gun, aimed and fired. The bullet hit the target on her left side. The gunshot was loud, as Elana had not used a suppressor, since the gun would not fit in her pocket with one attached to the barrel. Almost immediately, a police car's siren came on. Elana had no time to check on her target or deliver the coup de grace. She just ran and disappeared in the streets of Paris._

Sarah bolted upright in bed, panting and covered in sweat. She'd been having the same nightmare for years, but tonight it was the most vivid ever.

"Sarah?" Chuck's voice, raspy from sleep, queried from the other side of the bed.

She opened her mouth to reassure him, but instead of words only sobs came out, as long buried emotions burst through the dam and became a flood.

Chuck was immediately concerned, but he was now fully awake and realized she'd probably had a nightmare. Something one learned to live with in their line of work. "Shhh," he rubbed soothing circles on her back with his hand. "It's okay, it was just a bad dream."

It only caused her to start crying harder. Chuck was at a loss as to what to do. Eventually, he took her in his arms and held her, muttering comforting nonsense in her ear as her tears soaked his t-shirt. "It was not just a bad dream," she sobbed quietly.

Chuck surmised it had to be related to whatever had caused the subtle change in her behavior he noticed over dinner. "Do you want to talk about it?"

She looked up at him. "Do you ever have nightmares, Chuck?"

"No, not really. But then again, working with my friends helps. We have sort of a support system already in place, so we're there for each other all the time. We can help you too, if you let us."

"Thanks for the offer, Chuck."

"Well?"

"Well what?"

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"Okay."

"Come on. I'll make us some tea and then we can talk." He led her to the living room, sat her down on the couch and went to make the tea.

"Where would you like me to start?"

"At the beginning," he replied, handing her a mug.

"You know my Truffaut alias. I was still stationed in Paris when, as you may recall, I provided support for an operation led by Shaw. One day I got an order to eliminate an enemy operative. It came through the proper channels, so I never questioned its authenticity. I completed the assignment that very night. I had never killed anyone before, but I knew it had to be done. Or so I thought."

"What do you mean?"

She took another sip of her tea. "The woman I killed… I learned last night that her name was Evelyn Shaw… Daniel Shaw's wife. I saw her picture in the file."

"The CIA ordered you to kill his wife?"

Sarah nodded. "It was the worst day of my life. I suppose you felt the same when you made your first kill."

"I, um…"

"Come on," she nudged him with her shoulder. "Spill."

"Sarah, I have never killed anyone. Sure, I've sent people to the hospital, but I have yet to take a life."

"What? How?"

"Luck of the draw, I guess. It just hasn't happened yet."

"Chuck, what if he set her up? The file mentioned she was killed in the line of duty by an unidentified enemy operative. Since we both know it was me, then why does the file have it all wrong?"

"You are right. She must have become a risk to him at some point, so he decided to get a cheap divorce."

"We should report it to Graham, make sure he'll pay for this, too."

"Not yet, Sarah. I want to do some more digging first. Come on. We both need a couple more hours of sleep before relieving Bryce and Jill on the stakeout."

She meekly followed him back to the bedroom and both got in bed. "Thanks for everything," she whispered. She didn't resist as he took her in his arms again and held her comfortingly. Soon, they were both asleep.

-o-

A few hours after Chuck and Sarah took Bryce and Jill's place in the van, Morgan delivered lunch to them. Chuck, observant as always, didn't fail to note how Sarah liked her pizza: vegetarian, no olives. He filed the fact away for future use in cover maintenance. As her 'boyfriend' he was expected to know certain quirks of hers.

"Are you sure the bugs are working?" Sarah asked, some time later.

"Yes, we are getting background noises."

"Then what the hell is he doing in there?"

"The guy's a freaking robot. I can't come with any other explanation. By the way, I did some digging in the old files. There is no mention of a sanction on Evelyn Shaw. You were right. He set her up and tricked you into killing her. You were just providing outside support for the op, so you were the perfect patsy. It also looks like he doctored the reports to support his story."

"I hear something," she interrupted him. "Shaw's on the move!"

"Call Bryce and Jill. Tell them to come over ASAP."

The team followed the mark around the city. First, he stopped at a restaurant, where he had an early dinner. He then drove around for a while, never noticing the cars and the van following him. Morgan was driving down a parallel street, ready to take over if required. At one point, when Shaw stopped at a convenience store, they all gathered in the van, leaving Bryce's Mustang and Morgan's Pacer parked nearby.

-o-

Chuck parked the van and the team watched as Shaw locked his Tesla and walked into a…

"Are you shitting me?" Chuck exclaimed. "A gay bar? Really?"

"Shaw is going to be the laughing stock of the Agency if this gets out," Bryce commented. "This is a new low for a meeting place, even for agents."

"Okay boys, two of you have to follow him in there," Jill said seriously.

"We need to identify his contact," Sarah agreed.

"Nuh-uh, no way," Bryce said emphatically and Chuck nodded his agreement.

"Prudes," Jill mocked.

"What? No, I'm OK with that kind of stuff," Bryce said defensively. "As long as it's girl on girl," he added in a low voice, intended to be heard only by Chuck and Morgan, but the girls also picked it up, since he spoke near a miniature radio transmitter, which happened to be on.

"It's up to us, then," Jill said. "Sarah, are you comfortable with this?"

"Let's do it." She put on a brunette wig and glasses, while Jill exchanged her own glasses for contact lenses before putting on their earpieces and concealing button cameras on their clothing. Then, just to get the guys worked up, they started behaving in a most salacious fashion.

"Smoking," Chuck choked out.

"Hot," Morgan continued the thought.

"Sexy," Bryce finished it. They were all lucky to be human, for had they been reptiles or amphibians, their tongues would have been dragging all over the floor of the van.

"I guess we're good to go," remarked Sarah and playfully smacked Jill's ass.

"Try not to drool all over the equipment and short it out, guys." With that, Jill shoved her hand in one of Sarah's back pockets and the two left the van and walked to the bar, leaving three dumbstruck men behind.

"Man, it's freaky how easy it is for them," Chuck said when he regained the ability to speak.

"Women are more comfortable experimenting with their sexuality, as a rule," Jill replied over the comms. "Are you getting video and audio?"

"We are. Can you ladies hear us?"

"Loud and clear," Sarah replied.

"Jill?"

"Ditto."

"Anyone else get a Police Academy vibe out of this?" Morgan asked as the girls' cameras caught couples dancing inside the bar.

"Yeah," Bryce chuckled.

"Ladies, can you see the mark?"

"Yes. He's sitting at a table all by himself. Hold on, someone is approaching him… Nope, he's not the contact. Shaw rebuffed him."

Sarah and Jill ordered drinks and pretended to be all lovey-dovey with each other, while watching the traitor the whole time.

"Heads up," Sarah said. "Another guy is approaching Shaw."

"Sarah, adjust your camera. I have no visual." Which was not exactly true. The guys had a visual of … Jill's cleavage from Sarah's camera and Sarah's cleavage from Jill's camera.

"Hang on. There, how's it looking now?"

"Looking good. Hey, I think I saw this guy in the personnel files Graham sent us."

"You're right, bro," Bryce told Chuck. "Morgan, can you pull up the files?"

"Wait a sec… got him! Hunter Perry, low level agent. I'll let the Boss know we found the leak."

"Tell him to change the plans for the operation Shaw and Perry are about to blow, too. That way, even in case we don't prevent them from reaching their destination, the other side will still get wrong information. The least he can do is put it on hold until we stop Shaw and Perry."

"Guys, guys, guys! You are not going to believe this! Talk about cover maintenance!" Bryce exclaimed. The three men crowded around a monitor and saw Shaw and Perry dancing.

"Man, this is precious! Are we recording it?"

"Of course," Morgan replied. Giggles could also be heard coming from the girls.

"OK," Chuck began recapping the situation when they stopped laughing. "The exchange went down, which makes Perry a priority target now. What he has cannot reach its destination. We'll follow him. Shaw can then be dealt with at leisure."

"Perry's leaving," Sarah announced.

"Stay on him."

Sarah pretended to lean close to Jill and whisper in her ear. Jill nodded and together they got up from their table, took care of the tab and left before Perry did. The latter mentioned almost betrayed his true preferences by momentarily ogling the pair of perfect female derrieres leaving the bar. By the time he reached his car, Sarah and Jill were already back inside the van.

"Where is he going?" Bryce asked.

"Patience, my friend. We'll soon know."

As it turned out, Perry's destination was Union Station. A crowded, public place with many exits, in other words perfect for a drop. The team split up, leaving Morgan in the van to coordinate them and call for reinforcements if required and followed at a short but discreet distance. He appeared to be heading for the restaurant. Suddenly, there was a disturbance ahead. Several men in plainclothes and LAPD uniforms, including a SWAT team, pounced on a couple of other men and quickly subdued them. Perry immediately changed direction and hurriedly exited the station, trying to cross the marshaling area and disappear on the other side of the tracks. Chuck found himself running directly behind the mark, who ran harder when he realized he was being pursued.

"Stop!" Chuck yelled and fired a warning shot in the air.

"Chuck!" Sarah shouted into her mike. "Talk to me! Guys, shots fired!"

"I'm fine," he said. "I fired a warning shot." He kept doggedly following Perry, closing the distance between them. Then Perry tripped on a railroad tie and fell on the gravel, allowing Chuck to catch up. "Freeze. You are under arrest."

"Please don't shoot!" Perry feigned being terrified, while looking for an avenue of escape. He noticed that a halogen spotlight was shining directly in his pursuer's eyes, and that the lower half of his own body was hidden by the shadow of a boxcar. He could possibly draw his backup piece from an ankle holster. As he made his move, a shot rang out and he fell back, dead.

Chuck was confused. He had definitely not pulled the trigger. Just to be sure, he checked his P99. It was cold and there was no smoke coming out of the barrel.

"Chuck!" Sarah reached him on the run. "Are you OK?"

"I'm fine. He's not."

She looked at Perry's corpse. "You killed him?"

"I…"

"No, he didn't kill him," a new voice said and a man emerged from the shadows, holding a still smoking SIG Sauer. "I did."

"Casey?" Chuck said, recognizing the other man.

"Hello Carmichael. Agent Burton, nice seeing you again. I heard you two took down Rashad Ahmad's network not long ago. Congratulations."

"Thanks. What are you doing here?"

"We had a connecting case, it seems. I was after his contact," he replied, pointing to the stiff.

"We saw the takedown," Sarah said. "But we needed him alive."

Casey kicked Perry's leg and the gun dropped from its holster. "You couldn't see it, but I could from where I was."

"Thank you," Chuck said simply.

"Don't mention it."

"Will you take care of the cleanup here? We are going after his accomplice."

"No problem."

-o-

"So, you know Casey too," Chuck remarked as they rejoined Bryce, Jill and Morgan at the van.

"We met once." Then they proceeded to give the others a rundown of the events in the marshaling area.

"Half the leak has been plugged permanently, courtesy of the NSA," Chuck finished the narrative. "It's up to us to plug the other half."

Chuck had used a gadget of his own design when he bugged Shaw's hotel room. It detected his burn phone signal and tagged it, thus enabling them to track him. Thus, finding him was a breeze. They found him in Long Beach, near the Hotel Queen Mary. He appeared relaxed, sitting on a bench and enjoying a cool drink, probably thinking of ways to spend the money he expected to receive as payment for the information delivered, obviously unaware of his endeavor's abysmal failure. Chuck and Sarah approached him from behind. The next thing he heard was the safeties of two guns being clicked off.

"You are under arrest," Chuck said. "Stand up."

He turned and saw them. "Good evening Carmichael, Truffaut."

"He said stand the fuck up!" Sarah commanded. "It's over. Perry's dead and his contacts are in custody. And you are going to pay, for everything."

Shaw started getting up, but suddenly bolted and ran. Chuck and Sarah started going after him. Fortunately, he was going in the direction of a park and not the more crowded places in the opposite direction, where Bryce and Jill were to block that particular route so as not to endanger innocent bystanders. Chuck, being taller and with longer legs, caught up with him and brutally tackled him on the grass. Both men lost their guns as they fell. Getting up, each got in a fighting stance.

"Last chance, Shaw," Chuck said.

"Dream on, Carmichael."

Shaw swung, but Chuck blocked and countered with a strong blow to the gut. Winded, Shaw swept his leg, but misjudged the distance, allowing Chuck to easily avoid it. Then the two men wearily circled each other, occasionally faking jabs to test the other's defenses. Sarah, who had gone off to the left in a wide berth to cut Shaw off should he decide to go for his car, arrived to see them trading punches and kicks. Shaw got in a few, but it was clear to her that Chuck had the upper hand. He finally got in a kick to Shaw's side, immediately followed up by a right to the gut and a left cross to the jaw. Shaw attempted to continue the fight, but Chuck grabbed him by the throat.

"What part of 'it is over' didn't you understand, Shaw?" He had to fight to keep from breaking the neck of the man who had caused so much distress to Sarah.

"You have to do it. You have to kill me, Carmichael," he croaked.

"No thanks. I'm not a murderer." He released him and took a step back.

"That is what makes you weak," Shaw taunted.

Sarah, fuming, came up behind him and struck him with a shovel she found nearby. "No," she said after Shaw dropped to the ground unconscious. "That's what makes you great, Chuck."

"I was about to say that he is going to be judged for his crimes, but you saved me the trouble."

She laughed as she hugged him. "Thank you."

"Ow! Careful there."

"Sorry! Where does it hurt?"

"I'm fine. Don't worry. Is my face bruised?"

"No." She wiped some blood off his face and took another look to confirm. "No bruising."

"Good, because we'd have a devil of a time explaining it all convincingly to Ellie otherwise."

"I'll call for backup to take this piece of shit away." She poked Shaw with her foot. "Enjoy your time at the Supermax before you hang, you bastard."

-o-

The backup soon arrived. Shaw was chained, roughly manhandled into a van and taken away for a very thorough interrogation. Chuck and Sarah rejoined Bryce and Jill at their own van, where Morgan was waiting. Together, they gave their report to Graham. They left nothing out, including the true story of Evelyn Shaw's death.

"Very good work, team. And I have more news for you. The operation Shaw and Perry attempted to blow can no go forward as originally planned. You kids have earned the right to continue the vacation cut short when this mission came up."

"Thanks Boss," they chorused.

"Sarah, the two operations you undertook with Chuck's team were unqualified successes. You all work well together and I think it'd be a shame to break you up, unless of course you want to go back to working solo."

"No sir, I have no problem staying on the team."

"So be it, then."

"Boss, don't forget to thank General Beckman of the NSA for her team's contribution to our success, even though their operation was unrelated to ours," Chuck said. "And you can suggest that our agencies share intel on occasion, to avoid unnecessary double work."

"I'll keep that in mind."

"Where to now?" Sarah asked after Graham signed off.

"I don't know about you guys but Jill and I are going home," Bryce butted in.

"Me too," Morgan said. "I'm tired."

"Come on," Chuck said, placing a comforting hand on Sarah's shoulder. "Let's go home and get some rest."

"Okay."

"Are you sure there are no traces of the fight with Shaw on me?"

"Yes, Chuck, I am sure."

Later, back in the apartment, exhaustion finally overcame Sarah and she fell into a deep sleep. Chuck, however, couldn't stop thinking about something he'd seen in one of the briefing files. He resolved to look into the matter in the morning. He had almost drifted off when Sarah moved in her sleep, snuggled up against him and began using him as a pillow and teddy bear. She looked so peaceful that he couldn't force himself to push her off of him. Instead, he wrapped an arm around her and made them both more comfortable.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N:** I'm really glad you liked the way the 2x4 was handled in the last chapter. Now, after the mission, our favorite couple needs to unwind and have fun. This is what happens.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 9<strong>

Chuck woke up and saw that Sarah had not let go of him during the night. He almost didn't want to get up for fear of disturbing her. But a certain detail had been bugging him since yesterday. So, moving very slowly, he managed to extricate himself, picked up his laptop computer and went to the kitchen. While making a pot of coffee, he absentmindedly surfed the web, thinking about what he should do if his hunch panned out. A couple of minutes later, he decided to check up on Sarah. She was still asleep, confirming his earlier assessment about her not being a morning person. He quietly changed into jeans and a t-shirt. While doing so, he noticed something in one of her bags in the closet. It was a teddy bear, obviously old, but in good condition. She'd probably had it since she was a little girl, he surmised. Smiling, he picked it up and placed it in her arms.

Back in the kitchen, the coffee maker had finished the first pot, so he poured a cup and sat again at the computer. First, he went over news archives from a few years back.

"So far so good," he murmured, obviously satisfied with his findings. "Now for the hard part." It was not so hard, not with his knowledge of computers. What he found brought an even bigger smile on his face. "And finally the fun part," he told himself.

He was just about finished when she shuffled into the kitchen, still in the oversized t-shirt she was wearing as a pajama and the teddy bear under her arm. "Coffeeeee… Coooofffffffeeeeeeeeeee," she said in a zombie-like voice.

"Help yourself."

"Thanks. Where did you find this?" She held up her teddy bear.

"In the closet. You looked like you needed to hold on to something."

"This is good coffee."

"Ellie always gets the best blends."

"Why did you let me sleep so late?"

"Sarah, we're on vacation, remember?"

"Yeah," she yawned and sat down, crossing her magnificent legs and waiting for the caffeine to kick in.

"And as part of our cover, I'm taking you on a romantic trip. I already booked the tickets."

"Which passport do I need to take?"

"Yours, of course," he replied flippantly. "We are going to Paris."

"I've never been to Paris as Sarah Walker."

"Then I guess you've not really seen the sights. Did you know that the elevator is the most impressive engineering feat in the Eiffel Tower?"

She chuckled. "I did not, until now."

"We leave tomorrow."

-o-

Ellie's super-excited squeal could be heard for miles around, Chuck and Sarah believed. Her reaction to the news that the couple next door was going on vacation to France was very enthusiastic indeed. She felt very happy for her little brother and his girlfriend.

The following day Morgan drove them to the airport and walked with them to the first security checkpoint. Since they were both using their real names and in any case would not be going head first into any operation, they opted not to carry weapons. They were just a couple of travelers, like everyone else on their flight.

Twelve hours later, the plane landed at Charles De Gaulle airport. After collecting their luggage, Chuck rented a car and they drove off towards the city.

"Have you been to Paris before, Chuck?" Sarah asked.

"It's my first time in Paris. But I've been to Nice and Marseilles."

"Lucky for us I know the city quite well. I was stationed here for a total of sixteen months, on and off."

"And I have this." He produced his smart phone and called up the navigation application.

"You're such a huge Nerd," she laughed.

"Guilty as charged," he replied with the patented Bartowski Charm Smile that made her feel weak at the knees. Fortunately, she was sitting, safely strapped to the passenger seat.

The destination was a small hotel. It was in one of the nicest parts of Paris, and it even had a direct view of the Eiffel Tower. They were even lucky enough to find a parking space near the hotel. Chuck led, carrying the heaviest and bulkiest items of their luggage. Inside, the young woman on duty looked up as they approached the front desk.

"Bonjour," she said cheerfully.

"Good morning," Chuck replied. "I have made reservations for two rooms under the names of Bartowski and Walker."

"Oui, Monsieur Bartowski," the receptionist said. "But there is a slight problem. The rooms you reserved need plumbing repairs. We can, however, offer you and your associate our best room, at no extra cost, as there are no other rooms available."

"Sarah?"

"It's fine by me, Chuck."

"We'll take it," he told the receptionist. "Thank you."

"You are welcome, Monsieur." She handed them a couple of keycards and gave them directions to the room.

"I wonder if I can call Mom and Dad and tell them we arrived," Sarah said.

Chuck checked his watch. It was already set on Paris time, so he did some fast mental arithmetic. "It's almost nine in the evening back in LA."

"I'll call them," she decided.

"OK." He went to the balcony to give her some privacy.

A few minutes later, she joined him, thoroughly enjoying the view. "Paris looks so different now."

"It's because we are not working at this moment."

"I'd like to thank you for something else, too. You booked separate rooms for us."

"But we still ended up sharing one."

"I don't mind about that. I know you wanted to give me privacy, the chance to be away from the requirements of cover maintenance. It's the thought that counts. And I appreciate it."

"You are welcome."

"Still, we are more than partners, right? We're friends. Plus, we're used to sharing a room."

"Uh-huh. Are you hungry, Sarah?"

"I'm starving."

"They'll be serving breakfast soon. Shall we head downstairs?"

"Sure, we need to fill up. I can't wait to do some sightseeing."

It was refreshing to see her so excited about a normal activity, totally unrelated to their jobs. "You'll be the guide," he smiled. If his plan went well, this would be a memorable vacation for Sarah, in more than one way.

-o-

"That's the thing I love about Europe," Chuck said. "Having pastries for breakfast every day."

Sarah swallowed a bite of croissant and smiled. "Yes, one never gets tired of it, considering the variety."

He reached for another piece. "You were lucky, being in Europe often. I, on the other hand, had other assignments."

"I have some of my fondest memories from my stays in France... and the worst, too."

"I know."

"This is one of the fondest, being here on vacation with a good friend, enjoying this breakfast and soon to go sightseeing."

"Don't forget shopping."

"Huh?"

"Sarah, we're in Paris. Ellie ordered me to fit taking you shopping into our schedule. I believe she said something about being a cardinal sin for a girl not to go shopping in Paris."

"In deference to your sister, I'll pay a visit to Galleries Lafayette at the very least."

"By the way, how did you know about this hotel, since it's your first time here? What am I asking? You must have found it online."

"It's simpler than you think, actually. I asked Awesome. He recommended it. Of course, he's under the impression that we are a loving couple, so his suggestion was about someplace romantic."

-o-

Way up the Eiffel Tower, on the third level, Chuck and Sarah took turns snapping pictures of each other. Mindful of the need to stick to their cover, they also asked a tourist to take some of the two of them together. Then they walked down the Champs-Élysées, and finally paused at the bank of the Seine, to discuss their lunch plans.

"The bistro is a good idea," he agreed. "As for dinner, we can take a Bateau Mouche. Imagine it, seeing the city by night from the river…"

"Okay," she agreed.

_It will be a celebratory dinner if I'm right,_ he thought.

Later, having had a nice quiet lunch, they were in the car, driving to a destination Chuck did not reveal, although according to the navigation app in his phone it was in a residential area.

"Chuck, what are we doing here?" Sarah asked as Chuck parked the car and held the door open for her.

"You'll see," he replied cryptically. He led her inside an apartment building and they took the elevator to the fourth floor. Chuck consulted a note he'd made on a piece of paper and knocked on a door.

"Une minute," a woman called from inside. Then, after a very short wait, the door opened and a tall brunette appeared. "Oui?"

"Miss Letord? My name is Charles Carmichael. Can I talk to you for a moment? It's important."

"Yes. Yes, of course," the woman replied. She opened the door further to let Chuck in and then she saw Sarah.

Sarah gasped when she saw Letord. The other woman looked at Sarah questioningly at first, but then her eyes widened in recognition and she took a step back, holding her head in her hands, suddenly dizzy as memories of one night came flooding back.

"Are you okay?" Chuck asked and moved to steady her.

"She… she shot me. I remember now."

"We'd better take this inside."

"Shouldn't we call the police?"

"It won't be necessary. We are here to explain some things, to both of you."

"We won't hurt you," Sarah said. "We promise."

"All right," Letord agreed. "Please, take a seat. Would you like some coffee?"

"Yes please," Chuck said.

"I have a pot ready." She returned in a minute with a coffee pot, three cups and a plateful of cookies.

"I'll be right to the point," began Chuck. "Your name is not Sophie Letord and you were not born in Quebec."

"Who am I, then?"

"Your real name is Evelyn."

"Evelyn," she repeated. "It does sound familiar somehow. Why did I have identification under a different name?"

"You are an agent of the Central Intelligence Agency. According to your file you were recruited in New York in back in 2000 and became a field agent a year and a half later."

"Unbelievable."

"We are also CIA agents."

"Then why did she try to kill me?"

"Your husband arranged it," Sarah replied.

"I'm married?"

"Yes. You married Daniel Shaw in 2003. Three years ago, you came here on a mission with him. Sam here was one of the locally based agents supporting your team. She only got to meet the team leader, none other than your husband."

"There are a lot of blanks, but I think he was afraid that you might expose him as a traitor."

"Why now? Why did you bother to find me after so long?"

"It's a guess at this point, but I suspect he had you adopt the Sophie Letord identity without telling anyone else. Then he used the access he had to the system and sent Sam here a kill order against you. She thought she was taking out an enemy agent."

"I believe you. It's coming back to me, in bits and pieces, but I remember some things now. But how did you find me?"

"Sam was quite shaken when she discovered the truth about you. I investigated and found that your body was never repatriated, nor was your husband ever documented as having buried you here. And he certainly did not visit Paris for a long time. Then, I checked police and hospital records from that night. As it turns out, two women were admitted in critical condition in a nearby hospital. One of them died at the operating table. The other went into a coma."

"The doctors told me that I was in a coma for almost a week."

"There was also apparently some confusion at shift change the night you were admitted in the hospital. Sophie Letord was initially reported as having died. The hospital realized and corrected the error the following day, when a doctor checked the charts, but fortunately for you Shaw believed you were dead. He would have come back to finish the job otherwise. Or sent her."

"Sounds like I was very lucky."

"Indeed. The police, not having an apparent motive for the attempted homicide, simply put it down to a botched mugging."

"And I couldn't tell them anything, nor give a description of the shooter, because I hit my head when I fell and the doctors diagnosed me with focal retrograde amnesia. The shock of seeing her again triggered a partial recall."

"That's pretty much it."

"Where is the scumbag I had the misfortune to marry?"

"He's currently incarcerated. We arrested him for treason and a laundry list of other charges."

"Do you guys know a good divorce lawyer?"

"No, but I'm sure we can find one for you."

"Thanks. By the way, what's my maiden name?"

"It's Nichols. Your full name is Evelyn Joan Nichols."

"Evelyn Joan Nichols," she repeated. "Did people call me Eve?"

"They did."

"It's so amazing. Once I started remembering, it's all coming back to me. Thank you, Agent Carmichael. Sam, I didn't get your last name."

"It's Burton. And I'm sorry. I just…"

"You couldn't have known. Your partner said it, the order seemed to have come down the chain of command. I blame Shaw for everything that happened, not you. You were just the dupe in this."

"We were both deceived by Shaw."

"Yes. What should I do now?"

"All of this will be reported to the Director of Central Intelligence. In all likelihood, you'll be ordered home for debriefing and evaluation."

"What if I don't want to be an agent any more?"

"Then you'll get your pension and be sent on your way."

"I'll think about it."

"Someone from the Agency will be getting in contact with you soon. Well, Ms. Nichols, it was nice talking to you. We have to get going."

"At least you didn't call me Mrs. Shaw. Thank you both for coming. I hope to see you again in the future. And, Sam?"

"Yes?"

"Stop feeling guilty for what happened. I'd probably have done the same if I were in your place."

"Thank you."

-o-

Sarah was smiling in the elevator as they went to get their car. She latched on Chuck's arm and leaned into him. "I feel lighter now. You took a huge weight off of me, Chuck, and I don't know if I'll ever be able to repay you."

"Friends don't need to keep scores, Sarah. If anything, you'll be better at your work now."

"We are on vacation. Forget about work for the time being. Let's go shopping."

Poor Chuck wasn't ready for shopping-mode Sarah. But then again, he didn't know who Sarah's sister was. Carina had taken pains to teach Sarah the finer points of shopping, and she had been a good, if reluctant in the beginning, student. Now, armed with a year's back pay, she dragged her partner and friend from store to store. To him, the best part so far was buying souvenirs for their families and friends back home. Sarah loaded her latest purchases, a few handbags and purses, into the trunk of the car and slammed the lid closed. Then, she grabbed his hand and led him inside another store.

"Um, Sarah?"

"Yes, Chuck?"

"What are we doing here, or, more specifically, what am I doing here? This place doesn't have a men's section." In all the previous stores they'd been, she'd insisted on him trying on a few items and had him buy some, claiming that they looked great on him.

"Oh, I just want your opinion on some things I want to try on."

"Okay," he replied, satisfied with the answer. Thus, he found himself sitting in a comfortable armchair, while Sarah went to the changing room with her selections.

"What about this one?" It was a form fitting, floor-length backless gown, with a generous, but not obscenely so, cut in front.

"…"

"Chuck?"

"Well… wow… I mean… you look amazing."

"Thank you. I'm definitely buying it. The shoes and clutch, too."

The sales assistant, a pretty brunette, leaned closer and spoke quietly to Chuck. Sarah noticed and her eyes narrowed, but calmed down when he refocused his attention on her.

"She said you're lucky to have a boyfriend like me," he told her after _La Skank_ left them alone for a moment.

"I'll go put on my next selection."

-o-

"Are we done?" Chuck asked almost an hour later. Sarah had selected some killer – pun intended – outfits so far.

"Just a couple more, Chuck."

This time she emerged from the changing room wearing a sinfully short dress.

"You know, Sarah, red is not really my color, but I think I'll make an exception in this case."

"So you like it."

"You could cut holes in a burlap sack and wear it and I'd still say you look amazing," he said without thinking.

"Glad you think so," she said smiling.

Eventually, the shopping trip was over and the trunk of their rental car was filled almost to the point of overflowing with their purchases. As planned, he took her to dinner on a Bateau Mouche, after going to their hotel room and changing into something less casual, but not too formal.

"Sarah, would you like to dance?" Chuck asked her after they finished their dessert.

"Why not," she replied.

The band was playing a slow piece, which suited them both just fine. She closed her eyes as she rested her head on his shoulder and relaxed in his arms, feeling safe and happy. True, she only knew him for a short time, but during that time he'd managed to become her dearest friend. He'd done so much for her, without being asked. And he had agreed with her earlier that there was so much more in their relationship than just the professional aspect. She only hoped not to ever do something to compromise their friendship, because she'd never be able to live with herself if she hurt him and his family, who had welcomed her in their homes and their lives with open arms. Her spy senses were still working all the time though, because when the band stopped, she immediately stood straight and applauded along with Chuck and everyone else.

They were quite tired when they got back to their room. She let Chuck shower first and then she went for her turn, taking one of the bags from their shopping trip with her. He was already in bed when she came out, dressed in a very revealing and transparent purple negligee and matching bra and panties.

He jumped up when he saw her. "Hi-oh!"

"What?"

"Are you going to wear _that_ to bed?"

"Chuck, we are supposed to be a couple. And we have to practice maintaining our cover. _This_ is part of my _cover_."

"Well, it doesn't cover a thing."

"I'm wearing what a girlfriend would wear to seduce her boyfriend. I'm just being professional."

"Yeah, the world's oldest profession," he quipped, chuckling. The next thing he knew, a pillow flew right into his face. "What was that for?"

"You deserved it."

"Come here," he said and made a grab for her. She shrieked and just managed to avoid him, but then he grabbed a pillow and swung. She did the same and for a minute they engaged in a most entertaining pillow fight.

"That was fun," she panted when they plopped back down on the bed.

"It was. Goodnight Sarah."

"Goodnight Chuck."

Soon, they were asleep and subconsciously sought each other, ending up cuddled together.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N:** I may be pushing the T rating a bit in certain parts of this chapter, but it's nothing extreme. If anything, it's what you were waiting to see.

One more time, I'd like to thank you all for your encouraging comments.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 10<strong>

Sarah was having a dream that was a lot different than the usual ones she'd been having lately. In her case, usual meant wild and uninhibited sex dreams, starring her and Chuck. Right now, different didn't make it any less vivid.

"_Ouch! What was that for?" Sarah exclaimed. _

_Instead of replying, Carina smacked her upside the head again._

"_Carina!"_

"_Shut up, Sarah. You deserve it."_

"_What? Why?"_

"_You're sitting there, unashamedly telling me that you spent a week in Paris with Chuck, in the same hotel room, sharing the same bed and you didn't screw his brains out six ways from Sunday?"_

"_I'm not like you," Sarah began to say._

"_Hush! Not long ago, you all but admitted having the hots for him. Tell me something. When was the last time you got laid? Don't answer that, I already know what you are going to say. It was when I hooked you up with my friend from the Secret Service before you left for Marseilles. Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong."_

"_No," Sarah mumbled. "You're right."_

"_Sometimes I wonder if you are really my sister. You are attracted to him, at least physically, right?"_

"_He's a good looking guy. Not only that, he's funny, caring, kind..."_

"_Enough! He meets your perfect guy standards. Why on earth didn't you do something about it?"_

"_I was scared. I still am. I value our friendship a lot and didn't want to ruin it for a night of fun."_

"_Look at his team mates, Larkin and Roberts. They never miss a chance to go at it."_

"_Jill and Bryce are different. They are a committed couple. Chuck and I are friends."_

"_No, sis, you are afraid to admit you may be falling for him, if you haven't already."_

"_The cover we had to adopt makes it difficult enough for the both of us. I don't need you telling me to take the plunge. Do you know how much it'll hurt everyone if it doesn't work out between Chuck and me?"_

"_Excuses, now you're making lame excuses, Sarah. Let me tell you, it's not too late, even now. Go out there and claim what's yours. And this," Carina said, hitting her sister again, "is so that you won't forget."_

Her eyes popped wide open and surveyed her surroundings. She was still in bed, in their hotel room, right on top of Chuck. Wait, what? On top of Chuck? She looked beneath her and saw that she had indeed climbed almost on top of her partner in her sleep and was grinding against him. Her arms were around him and one of her legs was hooked over his. Slowly and deliberately, Sarah removed herself from him and scooted over to the far end of the bed. Suddenly, she realized something else: She was soaking wet with sexual arousal. Thinking and dreaming about being with Chuck in an intimate setting was turning her on and apparently sharing a bed with him now had the same effect on her. The icing on the cake was his contented smile as he slept.

"I need a cold shower," she muttered and got up, going to the bathroom. Chuck was still asleep when she returned fully dressed and just sat there, watching him sleep.

Later, after a very filling breakfast, they walked along the Seine again when they came upon a beautiful bridge. Chuck took his camera from its carrying case and turned it on, snapping a few pictures of the old structure.

"Sarah, can you please sit here?" He directed her to a stone parapet. "I need to take some more pictures for the folks back home."

"Sure," she replied and struck a very nice pose.

"You know, you could have had an amazing career in modeling," he told her as he reviewed the shots he'd just taken.

"My turn. Put your hands here, look towards the far bank… there." Then she noticed him looking at something. "What?"

"See that?"

"It's an old cargo barge."

"It was an old cargo barge," he corrected her. "It's a houseboat now. If I lived here, I'd definitely stay in one."

"Somehow the concept sounds familiar."

"A houseboat much like this one was often featured in Highlander: The Series, which ran in the nineties."

"Yes, I remember now. I used to watch it sometimes. I had a huge crush on Adrian Paul."

"Well, I never missed a single episode," he admitted, simultaneously filing her previous comment away for future reference. A Highlander marathon would definitely be on the list of things to do when they got back to Burbank.

"Nerd," Sarah laughed.

"Guilty as charged."

"What time is it?" The beauty of the city had captivated them both and they had lost track of time.

"It's time for lunch. Come on, I'm buying."

"We should also call Graham and tell him about our visit to Evelyn Nichols."

"All in good time, Sarah. All in good time. Right now, let's go visit a museum or two. Don't forget we're here as tourists."

-o-

"And don't forget to dig out my Highlander DVDs," Chuck told Morgan over the phone. "They are either in a box in the storeroom, or in the cupboard by the home theater system."

"Dude, didn't you make a list once with the precise location of every LP, CD, tape and DVD you own?"

"Thanks for reminding me! Yes, yes of course I did. It's in the cupboard."

"I'll check it out. What do you want those particular DVDs for?"

"Oh, I'm just planning on having a Highlander marathon with Sarah when we get back. She also liked the series and it'll be good for the cover."

"I won't fail you, man. Is it going to be a screening for two, or do you want the entire gang in on it?"

"Morgan, it's more fun if we're all together. I'll send you an advance notice."

"Cool. Take care."

"Thanks. You too. See you in a few days."

"Chuck!" Sarah called as he hung up the phone. "We need to contact Graham!"

"Coming!" He joined her and opened his laptop, quickly establishing a video link to Langley.

"I thought I made it clear that I didn't want to see your ugly mug for two weeks," Graham joked.

"You did, but we have something to tell you, Boss. We are in Paris."

"What are you doing over there?"

"Chuck wanted to take me on a trip, for the cover. And he also had something else in mind, which fortunately panned out."

"Do you two care to let me in on the secret?"

"Yes, Boss. It was about Shaw's mission here in Paris a few years back that Sarah provided support for."

"Go on."

Sarah took over. "He duped me into killing his wife."

"You killed Eve Shaw?"

"At least I thought I did. Chuck noticed some inconsistencies in the files, did some digging and discovered some things. Eve's alive. She had been critically injured when I shot her and also hit her head, causing amnesia, so she was unable to contact the Agency when she recovered. She lives right here in Paris under the name Sophie Letord. Chuck and I were able to jog her memory and she started remembering things. We also advised her to expect further contact from the agency. At this stage, she's not sure if she wants to go back to being an agent, which is quite understandable, if you ask me."

"Send me her contact information and I'll instruct some people in Human Resources to look into the matter. Your reports can wait. And don't bother me for the rest of your vacation, unless it's a matter of life and death, you understand?"

"Yes sir," Chuck and Sarah chorused just before Graham cut the connection.

"So," she said, turning to look at him. "Any plans for tonight?"

"No, I didn't get around to making any yet. What about you? Is there anything you would like to do?"

"Let's go for a drive," she suggested. "Maybe we'll find something to do in the process."

They ended up in the Hard Rock Café after a quick dinner at a nearby Burger King, just to get a taste of home. He also learned something new about her: she liked her cheeseburgers medium rare, with extra pickles. Right now, they were enjoying their beers, while a really good band played.

"Would you like to dance?" Sarah asked suddenly.

"Sure, why not?"

They spent the rest of their night out in the Café, dancing and having tons of fun. Before driving back to the hotel, they walked the streets in the area, to cool off.

"Would you like to shower first?" Chuck asked when they got back to their room.

"No, go ahead," she replied. "I'll be in the balcony, getting some fresh air. I drank a little too much beer tonight."

"Okie-dokie."

The refreshingly cool night air was just what Sarah needed. She leaned on the railing and looked down at the nighttime traffic, deep in thought. Quite unsurprising, her thoughts revolved around her partner. Finally, she decided to deal with the dilemma by her usual way: examining the facts.

Fact 1: Chuck was a good looking guy. Fact 2: Chuck was a really nice guy. He even took her to Paris in order to remove the burden of guilt from her shoulders and that was just the icing on the cake. Fact 3: He had become a good friend and she'd made more friends thanks to him. Fact 4: All the above combined explained her attraction to him, even though the beginning of their relationship had been anything but smooth. But now it was all about Chuck and Sarah, not Charles Carmichael and Samantha Burton. Fact 5: He was a good kisser. She knew that from the last mission. Fact 6: She had urges that had not been satisfied in over a year and she was getting horny as hell, which could adversely affect her focus. Fact 7: He enjoyed teasing and flirting with her as much as she enjoyed teasing and flirting with him, a case in point being last night. Fact 8: She was concerned about their friendship but, based on what had happened between them so far, she was reasonably confident that it would survive and perhaps be even better if a sexual component was added. Being friends with benefits is always better than just friends, right? Fact 9: There were no official barriers to what she was wanting, as both were of equal status in the CIA. Fact 10: He was definitely attracted to her.

Conclusion: She could move forward with Chuck, without worrying overmuch about unwanted complications. And she'd have to do it fast and stake her claim before some skank like the brunette from yesterday decided to poach in her territory.

"Chuck Bartowski, prepare for Sarah Walker," she muttered with a satisfied smile. A master seductress, she'd used her talents repeatedly for the job. Now, she'd be doing it for her own pleasure. Tonight was out of the question though. She was tired, he was tired and anything less than perfect was simply unacceptable. Still, she could tease him a little more, she decided with an evil smile.

The teasing occurred after her turn in the shower. She emerged from the bathroom clad only in a short tight grey v-necked t-shirt and a pair of modest, but strangely provocative, cotton panties. Chuck's eyes just about bulged out of their sockets when he saw her and she performed a mental dance of joy. Then, acting completely normal, she burrowed under the covers, she and Chuck wished each other goodnight, turned off the lights and surrendered to the fatigue of the day.

In the morning, they were spooned together, Sarah's back pressed against his chest, as he discovered upon waking up. They were also holding hands. It felt so comfortable and natural to him, so just he gave her hand a gentle squeeze and ran the pad of his thumb lightly over her knuckles. The increased contact woke her up and she turned to face him. The look they shared made talking unnecessary. Their lips crashed together into a passionate kiss, their hands pulling them both closer before moving to explore each other's body. Suddenly, he broke the kiss.

"Stay here," he commanded hoarsely as he got up. "Don't move, don't breathe, don't move!" He went to the bathroom, where he'd left his pants hanging the night before. Taking his wallet from a pocket, he opened it, but, instead of the object he was looking for, he found a neatly folded note. He read it carefully, his expression turning to one of incredulity. 'IOU one condom. Your pal, Morgan' was scrawled on it in Morgan's handwriting. "I'm gonna kill you Morgan," he growled in frustration. He stumbled back into the room, pulling his pants on and looking for a shirt, fully intending to find a condom vending machine or, failing that, the nearest pharmacy.

"Chuck, what are you doing?"

"Uh, I, um, we… need… supplies," he said.

"Supplies?"

"Yes. Stay here, I won't be long." He ran out the door, leaving a slightly disheveled and greatly aroused Sarah behind.

"Dammit," she huffed. She was this close to having her way with him and he doesn't have a condom? Without getting up, she fished in a bag for her phone. "What is this?" Her hand pulled out an unopened pack of condoms, undoubtedly courtesy of her sister. She laughed and called Chuck.

"Yes?"

"Get your ass back here. I've got what we need."

Seconds later, he barged back inside the room, jumped in bed and picked up where they left off.

"Chuck," she said while fumbling with his belt buckle. "Please go slow. It's been over a year since I last, you know…"

"Anything you want, Sarah."

A few hours later, both were spent but fully sated. She was clinging to him, head pillowed on his shoulder, her hand drawing lazy circles on his chest as she tried to put her thoughts in order. Right now she could barely form a coherent thought and she felt like she'd lost the ability to speak, such had been the intensity of their lovemaking. She was once again impressed with Chuck. He was able to anticipate and satisfy her needs and she was thankful for it. Normally, most guys care about their own gratification, but he treated her with respect, which in turn maximized the pleasure for both of them.

Later, Chuck ordered them some room service, which was delivered while Sarah was in the shower, from which she emerged wearing one of his shirts over her underwear. Noticing the balcony door open, she padded out and saw him arranging a variety of delicious looking goodies on the table there.

"Hmmm, very thoughtful of you to get us something to eat. I'm starving." She stood on tiptoes and kissed him.

"We need the food to recharge," he said seriously and poured her a glass of wine. "To us," he smiled and raised his own glass.

"To the benefits we added to our friendship," she added. "May we keep enjoying them."

They ate and then spent a couple more hours cuddling on the couch, watching TV and checking their emails. Luckily, the Company left them alone, and their families and friends only had good news for them. Sarah also remembered something.

"I found this on the bathroom floor." She showed him Morgan's IOU.

"Yeah, I don't even know when he filched it. My guess is that he took it from my wallet while he was still seeing Anna, a girl we knew since college, when we both worked summers at the Burbank Buy More."

"I'm going to give him a lecture on making good on his IOUs. Had Carina not sneaked that pack of condoms in my bag before we left, we'd have a serious problem in our hands."

"Carina? As in Carina Miller who works for the DEA? What am I saying? You two are friends, I noticed you talking before a lecture once."

"Chuck, Carina is my sister."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"No offence, but you don't look like sisters."

"None taken. She mostly took after Dad's side of the family. I, on the other hand, look more like Mom."

"Well, you met my parents. Ellie looks like Mom, while I look like Dad."

"So I noticed."

"It is glaringly obvious."

"Uh-huh. Any suggestions regarding what to do for today?"

"Come to think of it yes, I had an idea."

"Tell me."

"Are you familiar with the Velib bicycles?"

"Of course I am. I used them a lot instead of taking my issued car when I was stationed here. They are very convenient."

"I was thinking, maybe we could rent a couple of bicycles for the day and see more of the city."

"Chuck, it's a great idea. Plus, it's good exercise. I definitely need it if I want to keep in shape."

"I don't," he chuckled. "I have good metabolism."

"I hate you," she said, but there was no malice in her voice.

"I know a good gym near our place. It has a dojo, too. We could spar together occasionally."

"Get ready to have your ass kicked, Chuck."

"It'll be only because I can't hit a girl."

"You're too chivalrous for your own good."

"And you're way too nice to be a spy."

"So are you."

"Come on, let's finish lunch and go out. It's a very nice day and it won't do to spend it indoors."

"Unless we're busy with each other," she smirked.

"Later," he said, giving her a look that was full of promises.

-o-

Chuck and Sarah had a lot of fun riding their rented bicycles. She even took him to see her old neighborhood, where she'd been staying back when she was still using the Elana Truffaut alias. An old lady recognized her and greeted her cordially.

"Madame Michelet was my next door neighbor before I moved to Marseilles," she explained later.

"She likes you, a lot."

"Well, if she knew what kind of business I'm in, I'd never hear the end of it. Her obsession is spy adventures. She has an extensive collection of spy novels and movies."

"Ha-ha, you're right. She would have interrogated you in order to learn how the spy world really works. Where to now?"

"Follow me."

Chuck had taken the lead when he suddenly slammed on the brakes, forcing Sarah to swerve to avoid a collision.

"What the hell?"

"Sorry Sarah, I didn't realize you were so close."

"Apology accepted, but why did we stop?"

He pointed to a news stand selling international press. "The latest issue of Justice League is out and this is one every fan expected for weeks. By the time we get back in the States they'll have disappeared from the stores, but this is not a problem here."

"I almost crashed into you because you wanted a comic book?" Sarah was incredulous.

"Graphic novel," he corrected her. "And I am a hardcore DC Comics fan, so it's stronger than me."

"Hrmph. Just get it over and done with, but don't expect to be reading it tonight. You're going to be busy with something else."

"I wouldn't have it any other way. Oh, check this out. I think you'll like it."

"I don't usually read comic books, okay, graphic novels."

"Make an exception. It'll be worth it."

"If you say so," she said with a hint of disbelief in her voice and leafed through the issue Chuck suggested. She was immediately drawn to the quality of the art and from what she could see the plot wasn't half bad, either.

"So far only the first three books of the series have been published in English, but you can find all eleven in French. They're about a CIA agent, code named Alpha."

"Do you have them?"

"Only the first three, but even though I can read French, I'll wait until the rest are published in English."

"Suit yourself. I have no problem reading them in French." She moved to a shelf and picked up all eleven albums. "What's this?"

"_Les Schtroumpfs_?" Chuck read the title. "Oh, it's the Smurfs."

"I liked the Smurfs. I'll take this one, too."

"Who's the bigger Nerd now?"

"You are, Chuck. Hands down."

They laughed as they paid for their purchases and then rode the bikes back to the rental point near their hotel. Their graphic novels could wait, for they both had other plans for tonight.


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N:** In addition to thanking you all for the enthusiastic response to the previous chapter, I'll dedicate a few lines to replying to a few reviews..

yovis: Thanks, and you get the virtual cookie for review #100.

Chas58: Thanks, and in canon the events following the Barstow Incident kind of derailed any plans Chuck would have for getting back at Morgan.

Hypnotoad: Many thanks!

The plot development in this chapter may seem a little slow, but remember they are still on leave

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 11<strong>

The flight home had been long, but certainly not boring, especially considering what had happened in the first class lavatory after most of the passengers had fallen asleep. Now, they were walking, holding hands, towards the exit of the arrivals terminal, expecting to find Morgan waiting for them. Instead…

"Chuck, isn't that your Mom?"

"Yes. I wonder what she's doing here."

Mary smiled as she saw them. He was dragging a large suitcase along, while having a big travel bag slung over a shoulder, leaving the smallest and lightest items for his partner to carry. Her son was such a gentleman. Observant as always, she noticed the bounce in Sarah's step and the way her hand was holding his. "Welcome home, kids."

"Thanks Mom."

"Hi Mrs. Bartowski."

"Call me Mary, dear. How was your vacation?"

"It was fine," Sarah said smiling. Together they walked outside the terminal.

"Why did you come instead of Morgan?"

"Your father needed to ship something off to Langley and asked Morgan to help with the paperwork."

"The Company is another one of Dad's satisfied clients," he explained to Sarah.

"I drove your car here," Mary said, handing her son the keys. "Go get it. Sarah and I will wait here."

"OK."

After Chuck left, Mary turned to Sarah. "Now spill," she commanded good-naturedly. "You and Chuck are more than partners now, right?"

"I, um, we…"

"Come on, I noticed how you were acting."

"We are friends with benefits now," Sarah admitted, a little uncomfortable discussing such matters with Chuck's mother. "But first he proved once more how good a friend he is. The reason he took me to Paris was to ease my conscience. He succeeded."

"Oh?"

"I'll tell you all about it later, but if someone can go to such lengths for a person with whom he's been friends for just a short while… I mean, he got us first class tickets, booked rooms in a nice hotel…"

"Rooms?" Mary missed nothing.

"He wanted to give me a break from our cover, thinking I might have been in need of one. Curiously enough, we ended up sharing a room due to some minor problems with the hotel's plumbing."

Before they had the chance to continue their conversation, Chuck pulled up next to them and got out to load the luggage in the car. Then they were on the way to Burbank. Sarah finally told Mary everything about the off the books mission Chuck had taken her to Paris for.

"I can only imagine how hard it was for you, dear. And how relieved you must have felt when Chuck's hunch panned out," Mary said when Sarah finished the narrative. "And yes, any senior agent would have been able to send a fake termination order. It'd be even easier if said agent was a team leader. How did Graham take it, assuming you informed him of it?"

"He took it in stride, Mom."

"I think he was more than a bit surprised, considering no one else but Chuck noticed the inconsistencies of the facts in the files."

"It was a very sweet thing to do for your partner, Chuck."

"She's not just my partner, she's a friend. And there is nothing I won't do for family and friends, Mom. You know that."

"Indeed."

-o-

"One more thing, Sarah," Ellie said while she and her brother's girlfriend were enjoying some wine. "Tell Chuck to go have a haircut. When his hair grows too long it starts making funny animal shapes."

"I don't know… I kind of like his hair the way it is." Sarah got a dreamy expression on her face as she recalled how she loved to run her fingers through Chuck's hair while in the sack.

"Do you now?"

"Um, yes?" Sarah said hesitantly.

"Ladies, I'm back," Chuck called from the courtyard.

"We're in here," Ellie yelled back. He entered his sister's apartment and sat down on the couch. Sarah automatically snuggled close and he draped an arm over her shoulders. "Can I get you something, little brother?"

"A beer would be fine."

"One Bud coming right up. By the way, Sarah told me all about Paris. Did you really convince her to read comic books?"

"Graphic novels," Chuck automatically corrected his sister. "And yes I did."

"Well, I did find them interesting. Fortunately, I'm fluent in French, so I have no problem reading them."

"Hold on. You got them in French?"

"Yes. Chuck has the first three albums in the series, but these are the only ones printed in English so far. Besides, they were originally written in French."

"Did you open your souvenirs, sis?" Chuck asked, changing the subject.

"No, I was waiting for you to drop Mom off and come back here."

"I'm here now."

"Let's see what you got me…"

"Sarah selected a lot of those."

"Thank you both." She continued unwrapping the various items and paused when she picked up a box, turning to Sarah. "Is that what I think it is?"

"It's exactly what you asked for," Sarah replied with a sly smile. "Devon won't know what hit him."

"Oh boy," Chuck mumbled, realizing where the package had come from and what it contained. It was the only lingerie set to remain unopened in Paris. Sarah had modeled all her other purchases for him.

"Thanks Sarah. You both looked tired."

"We had a twelve hour flight."

"And even first class seats are not as good as a proper bed," Sarah added. The wine she'd consumed did not exactly help either. If anything, it made her feel sleepier.

"I'd better take Sarah home while she's still awake, Ellie. We'll talk again tomorrow, OK?"

"Deal. How much vacation time do you have left?"

"One more week," he said. "Then it's back to work. The last case was hectic, but it paid well."

"Goodnight," Ellie told Chuck and Sarah.

"Goodnight," they replied in unison. Poor Ellie had bought the consultancy business cover bait, hook, line and sinker. But then again, no one wanted to have a howling mad Ellie on their case should she somehow learn the truth. Sarah's Mom was more than enough on that respect. She had told Chuck what had transpired after her return stateside from Morocco, and he agreed that it was a good idea not to do something to piss her off even more.

In the morning, Sarah was half draped over Chuck as usual. He just lay there, holding her in his arms and stroking her golden blond hair. Granted, all they had done during the night was sleep off the exhaustion from traveling halfway across the globe, but he loved the feeling of her body next to his, he loved the whole her. Then he placed a gentle kiss on her forehead and gingerly got up from under her. She whimpered at the loss of contact, but did not wake up. Instead, she grabbed his pillow and cradled it tightly to her body, finding it a temporarily acceptable substitute for him.

"Sarah, wake up," he whispered in her ear about twenty minutes later.

"Nuh-uh."

"I made breakfast."

"Huh?"

"That's right." He set up the over bed table and placed the breakfast tray on it. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes and focused on the deliciously smelling fresh baked croissants, coffee and other goodies in the tray.

"What did I do to deserve breakfast in bed?"

"Being you is enough for me, Sarah. But in any case, it's also a bribe of sorts."

"Bribe?"

"Yes, you see, today is housekeeping day."

"Bah, you don't have to bribe me to help. We are roommates. What do you want me to do?"

"I don't know," he replied honestly. "I haven't made any plans yet."

"Then what do you usually do on housekeeping days?"

"Oh, I just vacuum the rugs, mop the floors, dust the shelves, that kind of thing."

"Let's eat and get started," she suggested.

Together they worked just as efficiently as they did when on cases. As a result, the apartment was perfectly clean in no time at all and the laundry was now in the dryer. They'd left the kitchen for last and while Sarah was wiping down the counter, she had an idea.

"Chuck?"

"Yes?"

"I think you need to get some more stuff for your kitchen."

"Such as?"

"Well, I'm not the kind of homemaker Ellie is, but it looks rather under equipped."

"It was a bachelor pad before you moved in."

"Good point. But as we are both living here now, I think we should look into buying a few things to make our life here easier. Don't get me wrong, you are a better cook than I am, but…"

"We'll go shopping today," Chuck cut her off. "I know the perfect place."

"Really? Where?"

"You'll see," he answered cryptically.

-o-

"A Buy More?" Sarah asked when Chuck parked the car in front of a store in a mall.

"Don't knock it. I used to work summers here, before I was recruited. Be warned, you may find some of the employees here a little weird and you may even want to hurt one or two, but they are absolutely harmless. In any case, I'll be with you all the way."

"Bartowski!" Michael 'Big Mike' Tucker yelled when Chuck and Sarah entered the store.

"Big Mike, how's it going?"

"I can't complain. Actually, I can. Since you and Morgan left, it took a while for things to get back to normal around here." He released Chuck from the bear hug he'd enveloped him in and turned to Sarah. "Chuck here was my unofficial Ass Man."

"Ass Man?"

"Assistant Manager," Chuck clarified and then introduced Sarah as his girlfriend.

"So, what brings you here?" Big Mike asked.

"Sarah convinced me to go shopping for some home appliances. Naturally, I brought her here."

"I see." He turned towards the sales floor. "Wu!"

Anna Wu came running to see what was going on and did not slow down when she spotted Chuck, jumping on him and giving him a big hug. "Hi Chuck."

"Hi Anna."

"Long time no see."

"Ain't that the truth. I'd like you to meet my girlfriend, Sarah Walker. Sarah, this is Anna Wu. We were in the Herd together."

"The Herd?"

"The Buy More IT service section is called the Nerd Herd. I was always a Nerd, you see."

Sarah smiled sweetly. "You're my Nerd now, Chuck."

"Anyway, I called you to make sure they get the best possible service here," Big Mike told Anna.

"Don't worry Boss, I got it." She corralled one of the Green Shirts to help and took the couple to the appliance section.

While shopping at the Buy More, Sarah understood why Chuck had seen fit to caution her before entering the store. Jeff and Lester, two members of the Nerd Herd, were decidedly creepy. Fortunately, Anna was doing a great job keeping them away from Chuck and, especially, Sarah. In the end they walked out of the Buy More with their wallets a little lighter and the car loaded with an all-purpose coffee maker, an electric slicer, a set of kitchen knives, a mixer, a blender and a waffle iron, among other things. Shopping for household items was a new experience for both of them, so they couldn't help but feel a little excited about it.

Since Ellie had the day off from the hospital, she was at home when they returned and after a quick inspection she voiced her wholehearted approval of their purchases. Sarah invited in for a coffee. While Chuck was finding a place for their new slicer, Ellie and Sarah sat down to talk.

"You know it's Chuck's birthday in a few days, right Sarah?" Ellie asked.

"Really?"

"You don't know when your boyfriend's birthday is?"

"It never came up. He doesn't know when mine is, either."

"You two definitely have to work on such things. Nevertheless, I'm planning on throwing a party for him."

"How can I help?"

"That's the spirit, Sarah! Before you came along, I'd try to set him up with friends of mine, since he seemed not to bother to look for a girl himself. You saved me the trouble. Still, I want to make it a memorable occasion for him."

"I'm with you all the way."

"Good. He's coming! Not a word, OK? We'll talk about it again."

"My lips are sealed," Sarah said with a smile.

-o-

Sarah and Ellie also brought Morgan, Bryce and Jill on board. Together, the five friends, plus Devon, made all the necessary preparations, handed out invitations and, above all, kept it secret from Chuck, who remained blissfully unaware of his sister's plot, believing that he'd avoided the hassle considering he now had a girlfriend.

B-Day finally arrived and to his relief Chuck did not notice anything suspicious. Thus lulled into a false sense of security, he spent the day relaxing with Sarah and even dropped by the office with her to check on some things there.

Sarah checked her watch. Things were going as planned so far and it was time to initiate the final phase of the plan. She grinned deviously as she remembered how well she and Ellie had planned this stage.

"Chuck, have you seen my phone anywhere?"

"No, but did you try calling it?"

"Good idea." She picked up the phone and dialed her number. "Do you hear anything?"

"No."

"Damn! I must have left it at the office."

"You're getting sloppy, Sarah."

"We are on leave. I think I can afford to be a little sloppy. Never mind, I'll just get dressed and go get it."

"I'm already dressed. I'll get it for you."

"Thank you Chuck."

"Be right back."

"Drive safe." She waited until she saw his car leaving and then ran to Ellie's. "The coast is clear," she announced. Immediately, Devon and Ellie, plus the others who until then had been hiding in the apartment with them, proceeded to get everything ready, from the food and drink down to the decorations for the courtyard. The guests started arriving soon afterwards.

Chuck found Sarah's cell phone easily, where she'd left it on the conference table. Pocketing it, he locked up and set the security system before heading back to his car and driving home.

"The fuse must have blown again," he mused as he saw the darkened courtyard.

"SURPRISE!"

"What?"

"Happy birthday Chuck," a chorus of voices said.

"Thanks," he said. "So, who organized all this behind my back? Could it be the usual suspect, my sister Ellie, that is?"

"Guilty as charged. Happy birthday, little brother."

"She had a load of accomplices, too," Sarah said, giving him a hug and a kiss. The latter drew applause from the assembled guests. "Can I have my phone now?"

"Uh, sure, here it is."

The party was a huge success. The home made cake was excellent, the rest of the food delicious, the drinks flowing and the music good and not too loud. When he opened his present from Sarah, which turned out to be a first edition of a graphic novel, something he meant to look for but somehow never got the chance to, he grabbed her, dipped her and kissed her soundly to more uproarious applause. Then they shared a piece of the cake followed by a dance.

"You know, Ellie told me that in the past these parties were more of a matchmaking nature."

"She told you that?"

"Yes and she was happy not to have bother with the matter this time."

He pulled her closer. "I love you Sarah," he whispered.

She wasn't sure if she'd heard him right, but it made her heart flutter. She said nothing and only hugged him tighter as they danced.

Later, he was talking to Sarah, Ellie, Devon and his parents. Sarah was sandwiched between Ellie and Mary, both women having their arms around the blonde's shoulders, not letting her get away. Naturally, work issues were avoided as Devon and Ellie were not in the know. Jill and Bryce were soon added to the small group, followed by Morgan and a petite brunette.

"I see you were busy while Sarah and I were in Paris," Chuck teased.

"Well, yes. Guys, I'd like you to meet Alex. She's studying at USC. Alex, meet by buddies Chuck and Bryce, their girls Sarah and Jill, Chuck's parents Mr. and Mrs. B, and of course Chuck's sister Ellie and her boyfriend Devon."

Greetings were exchanged and they all made some more small talk. Alex warmed to Morgan's friends immediately. The old 'show me your friends and I'll tell you who you are' adage held true. And judging by his friends, Morgan was a good man.

-o-

"I'm beat," Chuck complained after all the guests had left and he and Sarah were finally able to retire to their room.

"You're tired? Then what are we supposed to say?" Sarah asked, meaning herself, Ellie and all the others who helped plan the party.

"I'm not complaining. In fact, I'm grateful. By the way, where did you learn about the book I wanted so badly?"

"I saw the post-it note on your computer monitor, the one right next to the one that says 'I'm a Professional Nerd'. You can't miss it."

"I always meant to look for a copy. It's kind of a holy grail to serious collectors such as yours truly."

"I'm more familiar with the Unholy Grail," she retorted.

"Ah, yes, the SA-7 missile and its clones. You know, the first time I ever heard of you was when you blew up that shipment of SA-7s in Colombia."

"Is that so?"

"Uh-huh. I even considered asking Graham to add Sam Burton to my team, as he sounded like one hell of a guy."

"You still thought I was a guy back then. I'll have you know that I charmed the name of the ship the container with the missiles was on from a high ranking cartel member, before I let the Colombian Police arrest him."

"Still, you did a great job."

"Thank you. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go to the bathroom."

"Don't let me keep you."

Moments after she left, his laptop computer beeped. He had a new email and it was from work. Probably the happy birthday email Graham sent every year. The Bossman somehow managed to send him the most ostentatious e-cards. Chuckling with the thought and curious to see what it was this time, he clicked on the email.

TO BE CONTINUED


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N:** As you already guessed, this is where the plot thickens. Enjoy!

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 12<strong>

While Chuck's birthday party was winding down, a number of technicians supervised by senior deputy directors of the CIA and the NSA were preparing to run a test on an elaborate computer system housed in the super-secure DNI building in Washington DC. To the casual observer, the scene resembled the countdown before a Space Shuttle launch. One by one, the technicians gave the green light from their stations and the supervisor gave the order to proceed with Operation Sand Wall. It was all going normally, until one of the network connection boxes began smoking.

"Sir," a technician called the supervisor. "The master connection is going down!"

"Smoke in the master connection box," yelled another.

The supervisor reacted immediately. "Abort Sand Wall," he yelled into his microphone. "Abort, abort, abort!"

"The system is not responding!"

"Cut the power!"

"Won't work! It'll switch to another grid!"

Caution lights were on all over the place, while audio warnings blared from the speakers. The system was faced with a situation it was not designed to deal with. It did everything it could, but the external networking was not under its control. The display screens in the control room blinked out one by one.

The supervisor turned to the two very shocked deputy directors. "Call Director Graham and General Beckman," he said. "We have a problem."

"I think it'd be prudent to see the extent of the damage first, so that our reports will be more comprehensive."

"Nothing," a technician interjected. "I can't get the system online. It's dead."

"Let's just hope that Sand Wall sent the data to the designated server. I had transmission confirmation before the system crashed."

"I need access to another terminal."

"Go. Do what you have to do and report back to me."

"Yes sir." He was back a few minutes later. "The server did not get anything from here except for a cover sheet."

"Damn! Our data is floating on our network?"

"I'm afraid so, sir."

"Check the hard drives."

"Sir?"

"It's just a hunch, but do it anyway."

"I can't do anything from here. The whole system is down."

"Get a portable inspection unit and go to the hard drive room."

"On it, sir," the technician replied.

-o-

The moment Chuck clicked on the new email, thousands upon thousands of images flashed on the screen. It went on for several minutes and he just watched, unable to take his eyes off of the display or react in any other way. Sarah finished applying her moisturizing cream in the bathroom and drank some water with aspirin to stave off a potential hangover, since she'd drank quite a bit during the party, and then decided to go to bed. She arrived in time to see Chuck riveted to the screen of his laptop, which then blinked out and he fell backwards, ending up on the floor.

"CHUCK!" She ran to him and knelt by his side. "Chuck! Chuck, what's wrong, talk to me!" There was no reply. "ELLIE! DEVON! HELP!"

Morgan was about to go home after helping take out some garbage when he heard Sarah calling for help. He immediately went to his best friend's apartment and jumped in through the Morgan Door. "Sarah, what's going on? Shit! Is he OK?"

"I don't know! I only saw him collapse!" Sarah replied, tears beginning to flow from her eyes. "He needs a doctor."

"I'll go get Ellie and Awesome."

Ellie was understandably worried when she heard the news. Without bothering to change from her sleepwear, she and Devon grabbed their medical bags and ran to Chuck's apartment.

"Please wake up, Chuck. Please, do it for me. I love you, Chuck," Sarah begged as the others entered. She looked up at Ellie. "Tell me he's going to be OK, please."

"Move over," Ellie commanded, now in full doctor mode. Morgan gently gripped Sarah's shoulders and guided her to sit on the bed. She crushed his hand in a death grip as she watched the two doctors work on Chuck.

"His pulse is a bit fast, but other than that I can't find anything wrong with him," Devon said.

"Pupil dilation is normal," Ellie added. "He's just out cold for some reason. Sarah, what happened?" No reply. "SARAH!"

"Huh?"

"What happened?" Ellie repeated.

"I… I don't know. I was in the bathroom and when I came back I saw him watching something on his computer. Then it stopped and he collapsed."

"Did he look like he had a seizure?"

"I don't think so."

"Your brother has no history of epilepsy or other disorders with similar symptoms," Devon pointed out.

Chuck stirred and groaned. "Ugh, my head." He kept his eyes closed and tried to get up on his elbows.

"Chuck!" Sarah launched herself from her perch on the bed and enveloped him in her arms.

"What happened?"

"We should ask you the same question," Ellie said.

He ignored his sister for a moment. "Sarah, help me up please." As she moved to help him, he noticed the ring she was wearing. His eyelids fluttered and his eyes rolled upwards in his head.

"He's having a seizure! Ellie!" Sarah yelled.

"Stop!" Chuck said. "It was not a seizure. At least I think it wasn't. I just saw something."

"I'll get you some painkillers," Devon said and rummaged through his medical bag for something stronger than aspirin. Ellie went to get some water and a sphygmomanometer.

"What did you see?" Sarah asked.

"You. I saw you, Sarah. I saw things about you I'd never seen before."

"Like what?"

"Not now," he whispered. "I think it was from your personnel file."

"What?"

"And I've never seen it in my life, I swear."

"I know. We'll talk about it later."

"What are you two whispering?" Morgan asked.

"Nothing."

"We may have to take you to the hospital for tests," Ellie declared after taking his blood pressure and temperature. "But at first glance there seems to be nothing wrong with you."

"I'm probably just tired."

"You're on vacation, little brother."

"There are ways and ways for someone to get tired, even on vacation," he replied pontifically, pulling Sarah to him.

"Chuck, stop it," she said. "I love you, but Ellie is right. You need to have these tests done."

"Can it wait until the morning? I have a splitting headache and all I want to do right now is lie down and grab some shuteye."

"I'll keep an eye on him," Sarah promised Ellie.

"OK. But in the morning you're coming to the hospital with us and that's final."

"Let's see how it goes first," Chuck suggested and got another glare from his sister.

"Sarah, call us if anything happens."

"Count on it, Ellie."

"Goodnight."

"Goodnight guys."

When the two were finally left alone, Chuck turned to his partner/friend/not-so-cover girlfriend. "Did you say you love me a minute ago?"

"Yes, Chuck, I love you as much as you love me," she replied honestly. "But I want to know what you saw about me."

"Well, it happened when I glanced at your ring. Suddenly, I saw a video file, with you disguised as an old lady shooting a few guys before destroying the surveillance camera."

"Hm. That's strange. It was from an old mission in Slovakia. I never told you about it."

"I know. But somehow I could see the whole thing. It was as if I was watching the video."

"This deal gets stranger by the minute. What happened while I was in the bathroom?"

"I got an email from work. I thought it was the annual happy birthday e-card Graham likes to send me, but when I clicked on the email I saw pictures. Lots and lots of pictures."

"Could these pictures…?"

"Have included the bit I saw about you?" Chuck finished the question.

They thought about it for a minute. "Nah," they concluded in unison. They couldn't be more wrong.

"You probably read an excerpt from a report and you only remembered it just now."

"It's the most reasonable explanation," he agreed.

Suddenly, he got up and reached for a phone.

"Chuck, what are you doing?"

"I have to call Graham. The email came from the CIA, so he has to be informed."

She nodded. "Do it."

-o-

Langston Graham was angrily pacing the observation room while an equally agitated General Beckman was discussing something with one of her agents, waiting for the final report from the technicians, when his phone rang.

"Graham," he answered brusquely.

"Boss, it's me."

"Chuck, this is really not a good time. We have a situation here."

"And I have a situation to report, Boss."

"Make it quick."

"First of all, thanks for the email for my birthday."

"Ah yes, happy birthday."

"But you could have sent me just one picture."

"I did send you one picture."

"No, you sent me like a gazillion pictures."

"WHAT?" Graham roared, causing everyone in the room to jump noticeably.

"I opened the email and thousands of pictures flashed on my screen. Next thing I knew, I was on the floor with everyone else worried about me. I still have a headache."

"Thousands of pictures, you say. And who was everyone else?"

"Sarah, Morgan, my sister and her boyfriend. They are doctors and Sarah called them to help."

"Anything else?"

"I'm not sure if it's related, but suddenly I found myself knowing all about an old mission of Sarah's in Slovakia."

"Did you tell your sister any of this?"

"No. I didn't tell her about the email and it being the probable cause of the incident."

"Chuck, listen to me. I want you and Sarah on the next flight to DC."

"What about my team?"

"Them too," Graham said. "I can't talk about this over the phone, but it's important."

"Yes Boss." Chuck hung up and turned to Sarah. "Graham wants us all in DC ASAP."

"Is it about…?"

"I think so, yes. He was pretty shocked when I told him about the email."

"OK. I'll call the others and let them know."

"Have Morgan book us the tickets."

"I will."

-o-

"Can someone please tell me why Graham wants to meet us at the DNI building?" Bryce asked.

"Not a clue," Chuck replied. "But I think we're going to find out soon." He had successfully convinced his sister that he was fine and did not need to be checked up in the hospital and thus managed to be on the flight to DC instead of having Ellie go all doctor on him.

All five walked into the building and showed their IDs at the front desk. Someone immediately took them to an office where Graham was waiting. And he was not alone.

"We are here, Boss," Chuck said. Then he saw Beckman and Casey. "The plot thickens," he added, speaking to no one in particular.

"Care to explain the reasons for the mysterious summons, sir?" Sarah asked.

"It's about the email Chuck got last night."

"We had this kind of figured out ourselves," Bryce said.

"Please, sit down. I'll explain everything in a minute." Graham waited until his five subordinates were seated before continuing. "Yesterday, a supercomputer was scheduled to have its emergency functions tested. After the process was initiated, a malfunction of the networking connection caused the loss of the data. Apparently, the system deemed the problem a sufficient threat to initiate a data dump on its own, for real this time. Only, due to the aforementioned malfunction, the data was not sent to the designated server, but instead ended up in your inbox after somehow being merged with the email I sent you."

"Agent Carmichael received the Intersect data?" Beckman asked.

"He called me immediately," replied Graham.

"Did you bring your computer hard drive?"

"General, this is where it gets tricky. Carmichael opened the email."

"Um, excuse me, but what was so important about this Intersect system and the data? I mean, what did it do?"

"It did everything," the General replied. "After 9/11 the NSA and the CIA were told to play nice. So we pooled our intel. Every scrap of data we had went into that computer after being encoded into thousands of images. And now it's all in Agent Carmichael's head."

"How is this possible?"

"So that's how you learned about my old mission," Sarah deduced.

"The encoding was intended to facilitate searches through the Intersect database by feeding the computer image, video and audio cues. When the technology advanced sufficiently, there would also be the option of uploading the data to agents, since the encoding would enable subliminal absorption."

"General, are you telling us that Chuck, Agent Carmichael I mean, is now a walking database?"

"I mean exactly that, Agent Burton."

"What happens now?" Chuck asked.

Graham glanced at Beckman and cleared his throat before replying. "Right now you have the only copy of the data. And it should be used for its intended purpose, which is serving the greater good."

"What Director Graham means to say," clarified Beckman, "is that until the data can be re-encoded and uploaded to the Intersect computer again you will take its place, temporarily of course."

"Can it be removed?"

"We'll have to ask the manufacturer and his design team."

"Oh boy…"

"One more thing," General Beckman interjected. "Since the Intersect was a joint CIA/NSA project, I want my agency to have continued full participation. Major Casey will be joining you for as long as Agent Carmichael will remain the Human Intersect."

"Your mission will to protect Carmichael," Graham told everyone. "He is now a gold-plated asset."

"Hold on Boss, are you demoting me from agent to asset?"

"Chuck, the recent turn of events dictates this course of action. We'll be sending you intel to review and you'll be forwarding the results to us."

"And what will happen if I happen to have a recall triggered by something you other than what you'll be sending me?"

"Then you and your team will evaluate the situation and act on the Intersect information as required. You'll basically have a hybrid asset/analyst/agent status."

"Oh joy."

"The other option is to confine you to a secure facility for as long as it will take to recompile the data and remove the Intersect from your head."

"I'll take the first option, thank you very much."

"Atta boy, Chuck."

"The deal still sucks."

"Man up and deal with it, Carmichael," Casey said.

"Where are we going to be based?" Morgan asked. "I have to calculate the logistics."

"You already have an established cover in Los Angeles. You'll go back there and operate out of your cover business. Any problem with that?"

"LA, huh?" Casey smiled. "It's fine by me. In fact, I was feeling a little pasty."

"Give my regards to the family," Beckman said smiling.

"Casey has a family?" Chuck asked snidely. "You mean he's not some sort of Terminator manufactured by the government?"

"Carmichael," Casey warned in a low voice.

"You are going to play nice and that's an order," Beckman barked. "Is that clear?"

A chorus of 'yes ma'am' answered her.

"Good. You are all dismissed. You'll be assigned quarters for today and you'll fly back to LA tomorrow.

-o-

"So, this was the notorious John Casey," Morgan said while they were driving to the townhouse in Georgetown allocated to them, following several hours of planning for what would happen next. "My girlfriend's last name is also Casey, but I seriously doubt she's related to him in any way."

Sarah and Chuck were meanwhile thinking about something else. "Graham forgot to tell us something," he mused.

"We need to know who the manufacturer is. The sooner we get the information we need the better, especially since we don't know how it'll affect Chuck in the long run," Sarah continued for him.

"They'll tell us," Bryce said encouragingly. "Hopefully, it won't be long before things get back to normal."

Upon reaching their destination, they inspected the house. It had two bedrooms, which were immediately assigned to the two couples. Morgan claimed the huge and comfortable couch, which incidentally was right in front of a humungous flat screen TV.

"No sleeping al buffo tonight, little buddy," Chuck told him as he and Sarah retired to their room.

"What did you mean by that?" Sarah asked.

"Morgan has a preference for sleeping in the nude. I just reminded him that he's not alone in here."

"Yeah, I'd really not get up in the middle of the night and run into an al buffo Morgan. I only hope Ellie won't get suspicious of us leaving on such short notice."

"I left her a note saying that we're having an urgent meeting with an important client."

"There is definitely some truth in it."

"Uh-huh. Goodnight Sarah."

"Goodnight? I was hoping for some fun and games tonight, Chuck. After all, I didn't get the chance to give you your special birthday present."

"Oh? And what might that be?"

She rose from the bed and shrugged her short silk robe off her shoulders, revealing her naked body. "Me," she replied sexily and crawled on the bed, straddling him and kissing him hungrily.

"We… better… keep… it… down," he said between kisses.

"I wouldn't worry about being heard. Why do you think I chose this bedroom? It's the one farthest away from where the others are staying. Besides, who says Jill and Bryce are not doing the exact same thing right now?"

"Good point, Sarah."

"Now shut up and kiss me."

"Your wish is my command," he said and obeyed.


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N:** Hello again! This is a good day! Tynianrex posted a long overdue update to his Pond story (read it – highly recommended). On the other hand we have yet to see an update of the New Partner by Balthazar497… oh, well…

Anyway, I'm happy to inform you that your guesses on plot development were mostly right on the money. Am I getting that predictable? Nah, just kidding. Thanks for the reviews, favorites, alerts and comments. You are Awesome.

For now…

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 13<strong>

During the flight home Sarah found herself seated between Chuck and Casey, much to her chagrin. The NSA agent's presence meant that she could not freely engage in displays of affection towards her boyfriend above the requirements of cover maintenance and also that she'd have to scrap her plans for renewing their subscription to the Mile High Club. She and Chuck had agreed to keep knowledge of their romantic relationship private and confined only to themselves and their families and closest friends for a while.

"You don't mind, do you?" Sarah asked as she leaned on his shoulder, wanting to get some more sleep. She hadn't slept much during the night and neither had Chuck, for quite obvious reasons.

"Me? No, go ahead and make yourself comfortable," he replied, even helping her adjust the pillow provided by the airline and covering her with a blanket.

"Thanks."

"You're welcome."

"I think you should get some rest, too."

"Don't worry about me."

"You're my partner, Chuck. I have to worry about you occasionally."

"Point taken and I'll follow your advice soon."

-o-

"Good morning Langston," Stephen Bartowski smiled. "What can I do for you this time?"

"I need your help on a highly technical matter."

"I'm listening."

"Mary may want to hear this, too."

"Hold on, I'll call her."

It only took a minute for Mary to run to her husband's office. "Hi Lang," she said amicably.

"As I told Stephen, we have a problem."

"Go on."

"We were trying out an operational procedure regarding the Intersect yesterday, specifically the emergency relocation of the data, dubbed Operation Sand Wall. Only something went wrong. Another system malfunctioned, causing the Intersect to initiate a data dump and execute Sand Wall for real. Unfortunately, since the problem was with our own networking, the data did not reach the designated server, but somehow attached itself to an email I happened to be sending at that precise moment."

"You know who got the data," Stephen deduced.

"Oh yes, he called me himself. He also opened the email."

"Langston, this is extremely dangerous."

"I know. But he doesn't show any adverse effects from the download. I was wondering if you could…"

"Help repair the system and then see if it's possible to get the data out of the unfortunate recipient's head."

"Exactly."

"I'll fly over to assess the damage as soon as I can. Who is the unfortunate Human Intersect?"

"Ironically, he's one of the original candidates for the Omaha Project, which, as you already know, was abandoned as excessively risky. Stephen, Mary, it's your son, Chuck."

"WHAT?" Mary screeched. "Chuck? Where is he now?"

"He's on a plane back to Bob Hope International. His team is with him, plus a senior NSA Agent."

"Anyone I know?"

"John Casey."

"I've heard of him," she said.

"Then you know he's considered one of the best."

"Yes. He somehow acquired the reputation of a burnout, but I think this is hardly the case. Chuck and Sarah can give more informed comments. I've been out of the game for too long."

"You can ask them," Graham said and turned to Stephen. "What are you going to do to help?"

"Due to the developments you mentioned, I won't fly to DC yet. Send me all the technical logs and everything else pertinent to the incident, as well as the parts that need repair or replacement. I'll get the old team together and work on erasing it from Charles' brain."

"Not so fast, Stephen. Until the Intersect is up and running again, your son will have certain duties added to his existing ones as an agent. He'll help us utilize the database."

"What will it take to have the Intersect operational again?" Mary asked, looking straight at her husband.

"The components are the easy part," he replied without hesitation. "The CIA/NSA technical staff will have the most work to do, as they'll have to re-encode all the data, after assembling it again."

"How long?" Mary insisted.

"Months," Graham said gravely. "But as I said, Chuck is suffering no adverse effects from the download. Far from it, in fact. And he has also managed to access the database once and open part of Sarah's file, the Intersect having been cued by a visual stimulus, according to him. Unfortunately, the overriding need for secrecy precluded us having him examined by our medical staff. I'll have to assemble a support unit and rest assured that I'll vet every member myself."

"Leave it to me," Stephen said. "I know a couple of people who can help."

"You can't be serious, Stephen," Mary said, giving him a disapproving glare.

"Why not?"

"Ellie will react badly to the news, you know that."

"She's a grown woman. She'll understand why we had to keep secrets."

"Maybe, but I wouldn't like to be around for her tantrum. On the other hand, it might be fun to watch. So, who will call John and Hartley?"

"I'll do it, sweetheart."

-o-

Ellie decided to borrow some things from Chuck's kitchen and prepare a surprise gathering when her brother and his girlfriend returned from their latest business trip. She already had a key and in any case Chuck had told her to help herself if she needed something from his apartment. Thus, the coffee machine, the electric slicer and a couple of other items were there for the taking.

She was making the third round trip, the loot this time being Sarah's brand new set of kitchen knives. One was missing from the holder and Ellie found it embedded in a cutting board hanging on the wall above the sink. It looked like Sarah had thrown it there. Weird, but not her business, Ellie concluded. Maybe Chuck had managed to convince her to watch The Long Kiss Goodnight, one of his favorite movies, with him. While heading for the door Ellie tripped on the carpet and fell forward, fortunately ending up on the couch.

"Damn," she muttered, picking herself up and recovering the knives. One had fallen from the holder and ended up between the cushions and the back of the couch. "I hope it didn't damage the couch," she mused and lifted a cushion to recover the knife. And then… "Shit!"

The space under the cushion was, for lack of a better word, an arsenal. Ellie counted two handguns, a pump-action shotgun, smoke and flashbang grenades, a combat knife and a set of throwing knives, the cold sharp metal in beautiful rainbow colors. She frantically lifted the remaining cushions and found more weapons, cell phones, even a number of identification documents and passports. What was her little brother up to? Had his girlfriend pulled him into something illegal? They both had a lot to answer for, she decided.

-o-

This time both Mary and Stephen went to pick up the gang at the airport, driving an Orion Computers minibus. Mary was nervously pacing the area of the arrivals terminal outside the baggage claim area in marked contrast to her husband's calm countenance. She had been part of the Omaha project since shortly after its inception and was privy to all the details, the risks included. Her son was special, she knew that since the moment she learned about how he was recruited by the CIA, but as a mother she couldn't help worrying. Finally, she saw the gang coming their way, carrying their luggage, Sarah firmly attached to Chuck's arm, which made her smile for the first time that day.

"Ah, we have a full house," Stephen said cheerfully. "Right this way, ladies and gentlemen. Our ride awaits."

"Dad, where are we going?" Chuck asked.

"To work, of course," Stephen replied.

There was barely any conversation during the drive to the Orion building, but there was a definite undercurrent of excitement. As they pulled into the parking garage, Sarah's hand sought out Chuck's and gave it a reassuring squeeze. Stephen and Mary then led everyone to one of the executive elevators and took them to the office suite where two more people were waiting.

"Before we begin, I should do the introductions," Mary said. "People, meet Professor John Fleming and Dr. Hartley Winterbottom, both key members of the Omaha Project."

Chuck had another recall as he saw Hartley. "Uncle Hartley, you were Agent X," he exclaimed.

"That was a very long time ago, my boy. But I did fulfill my James Bond fantasies."

"I see the Intersect is still working perfectly," Stephen interjected and proceeded to introduce the agents to Hartley and Fleming. Chuck, Bryce and Jill had been Fleming's students back in Stanford, so they just exchanged cordial greetings.

"Just out of curiosity, Charles, what does my file say?" Hartley asked.

"Not much, but it has your catchy codename and a side note which I interpreted as referring to a partial upload of the Intersect to you."

"Yes, it was something your father and I worked on together. It was intended to help me with the details of my cover identity."

"Do you still have it?" Sarah asked. "The Intersect, I mean."

"No, Agent Walker, I don't. Stephen here erased it."

"Then he can do the same with Chuck."

"I don't know yet," Stephen admitted. "Hartley was uploaded with a custom made segment of a very early version. Likewise, my own upload was quite limited, whereas you…"

"Stephen! You uploaded it?"

"I was young and stupid back then, honey and in all our youthful enthusiasm we decided to test it on me after John here certified me as a suitable candidate."

"And you never told me," Mary fumed. "Stephen J. Bartowski, you are hereby on couch duty for the rest of the week."

"Sweetheart…"

"Don't 'sweetheart' me!" Mary yelled. The others looked suitably embarrassed at having to witness a marital spat. "The only thing I want to hear from you right now is an assurance that my son will not be harmed by whatever is in his brain!"

"As you wish, Mrs. Bartowski," Stephen said, giving her the patented Bartowski charm smile, which, as Sarah had already noticed from her first meeting with Stephen and Mary, Chuck had inherited from his father. And it was just as effective, apparently.

"Go on, Dad."

"Well, son, according to the logs your boss sent me, the system performed a full data dump."

"And it turned me into a walking database."

"Try portable hard drive," Bryce chuckled and playfully elbowed his friend.

"Charles is more than just a hard drive now, Bryce."

"Can you please explain, Mr. B?"

"The download included an expansion pack recently developed for the 2.0 version. Basically, it provides the host with new skills, or enhances the ones he or she already has. The encoding also facilitates the use of the intel database, by making the recalls, which John, Hartley and I have termed 'flashes', faster and more coherent, also reducing the effects on the user. Said effects of the older Intersect versions were slight disorientation and occasionally mild nausea."

"I felt neither. Every time I flashed, as you said, it was like a brief adrenaline rush. But the expansion pack does sound a little bit more outlandish than even the original Intersect concept, Dad."

"Tell me something you're not good at. I want it to be something spy related."

"Okay, I never quite got around to learning to do back flips."

"Focus and will yourself to do some."

"Huh?"

"Do it."

"I can try," Chuck conceded, still disbelieving.

"Let's make it interesting," Stephen said, picking up some pencils from a desk. "GO!" He started throwing them at Chuck. The need to avoid them triggered the Intersect and he could now do back flips like a professional gymnast.

"Impressive," he said.

"Not really," Sarah teased and performed a back flip just like that. "See?"

Chuck wanted to kiss the smug grin off her face, but restrained himself, not wanting to look unprofessional, not now. "Showoff," he said instead.

"Aces, Charles, you're Aces." Then, Stephen picked up a card from his desk and showed it to his son.

The flash came immediately. "Orion was your codename while working for the CIA?"

"I chose it myself."

"Fitting," he agreed.

"All right, let's get busy. John, Hartley and I will go over the technical reports and see what needs fixing."

"How long will it take us?" Hartley asked. "I'm meeting my daughter for lunch."

"Vivian's in town?" Chuck asked.

"Sure she is. She had a lot of accrued leave time and took some of it just to spend it with her old man and her friends. I'd be surprised if she hasn't called Eleanor already."

"I believe we can accommodate you," Stephen said seriously.

-o-

"Tell me about Vivian," Sarah said while they were driving home after the meeting. "Do you know her well?"

"She's Uncle Hartley's daughter, Sarah, so yes, I know her pretty well. We used to spend a lot of time together as kids. She's sort of my favorite cousin."

"And she never…?"

"Made a pass at me? No and neither did I. Are you jealous?"

"Me? Never."

"For a spy you are a terrible liar, Sarah."

"Am I lying when I tell you that I love you?"

"No, you don't."

"Good answer. Now pull over at the supermarket. I need to get us some supplies."

"How come you almost never cook?"

"Huh? It just happened, I guess. And I definitely wouldn't want to inflict my cooking on you. I was working at a Wienerlicious during a practice mission and… Did you flash?"

"Yup. And I see what Dad meant when he mentioned the expansion pack functions. I didn't lose focus while driving."

"What did the flash tell you?"

"It was funny. Again, I stumbled across a video file documenting your exploits, in this case you throwing away some burnt corndogs."

"I was more focused on the assignment! I'm not that bad! In fact everyone thinks that my chocolate soufflé is sinful."

"I expect to taste it soon."

"You will. Now, what about Casey? Where does he fit in all this? I mean, arrangements have to be made regarding his cover."

"All in good time, Sarah, all in good time," he said.

Not long later, they were walking through the courtyard towards their apartment.

"Chuck! The door is open!"

"Let's check it out, carefully."

Both automatically checked the area. Seeing no sign of human presence, they drew their weapons and entered the apartment, executing the appropriate actions for clearing a room, as they'd been taught at the Farm.

"Catch!" Ellie said, throwing the flashbang grenade at them, with the pin still in, from her hiding place behind the couch. Chuck caught it in mid-air.

"Ellie?"

"Care to explain this, little brother?" Ellie said, getting up and kicking the couch cushions aside to reveal the gear stored underneath.

"Um…"

"She didn't drag you into something illegal, did she? And why do you have a gun?"

"Sis…"

"Be warned, I want the truth."

"Fine," he said. Reaching into a pocket, he took out his badge. "Carmichael, Charles Carmichael," he mimicked Sean Connery. "I work for the US Government."

"You're in the CIA?"

"So am I," Sarah added, showing Ellie her Samantha Burton ID.

Somehow Ellie managed to keep her cool a while longer. Something she'd seen in many spy movies came to her. "Then is your relationship a sham, for… cover?"

"It was at first," Sarah replied, deciding to be honest about it. "But it's different now. Ellie, I love your brother."

"And I love her."

"Before you ask, Sarah Walker is my real name. When Chuck and I were posted here, he had to use his real name, and I felt compelled to do the same. I can't say more, but I met Chuck in Casablanca, worked with him and fell in love with him along the way."

"I believe you, Sarah. But you should have told me, Chuck."

"I'm supposed to be a secret agent, Ellie, secret being the key word here."

Something clicked in Ellie's brain. "Then Bryce, Jill and Morgan are…"

"My team," he confirmed.

"Unbelievable… Who else in my life is a spy, Chuck? Is Devon a spy?"

"No."

"But I am, or at least was," her mother said, coming up behind the couple.

"Mom?" Ellie was shocked and that was putting it very, very mildly.

"Right now we need your help, Eleanor," Stephen added. "I'm bringing you and Devon on board as medical contractors."

"Both of us? For what?"

"You'll learn soon enough. There are certain procedures that have to be followed first, but I think we can trust you to keep the whole deal confidential."

"Of course."

"By the way, what were you doing in our place?" Chuck asked.

"I wanted to borrow some of the new stuff you got the other day, as I was planning a little soiree for today."

"Let me help you," Sarah said, effortlessly slipping into her normal girl mode. "I'll make my chocolate soufflé. Chuck is eager to try it."

Sarah's switch from badass spy to Chuck's loving girlfriend and Chuck's transformation to the guy next door in love, coming on top of everything else, was kind of overwhelming to Ellie. That, and the new found knowledge of her parents' involvement with the intelligence community, effectively blocked the expected and much feared temper tantrum.

"Hey guys, I saw you all come in here and…" Devon never finished the phrase. He saw the guns in Chuck and Sarah's hands, the grenade on a shelf where Chuck had deposited it and the couch arsenal. "What the hell is going on in here?"

"Sit down, son. We need to talk," Stephen said. "There is nothing illegal going on here. On the contrary, Chuck and Sarah work for the federal government."

"What, like the FBI?"

"Try the CIA," Chuck said.

"You're a spy, bro?"

"Yeah."

"Awesome!"

"Thank you. I'll tell you who else is working with me soon."

"Duh, I kind of have it figured out myself. In addition to Sarah here, you work with Jill, Bryce and Morgan."

"Correct," Chuck admitted. "Now, I'll also be working with you, Ellie, Mom and Dad."

"Phew. Talk about a shock to the system. But I'm in, all the way. So, what's going on exactly?"

"That's the part you're not going to believe."


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: **Things are getting organized on the spy front for our gang. The action will start in the next chapter.  
>Once more, I can't thank you enough for your support.<p>

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 14<strong>

When she was a little girl, Eleanor Faye Bartowski wanted to become one of two things when she grew up: either a doctor or a teacher. And she fulfilled both her ambitions, the latter when helping Chuck and Morgan do their homework while her Dad was busy playing with computers and her Mom spying. Right now her inner - very strict - teacher surfaced the moment Chuck and Sarah volunteered to help her prepare for the evening gathering, which would go ahead as planned, despite the latest developments. They had barely entered her apartment when she grabbed her brother and his girlfriend by the ears and dragged them to the couch in the living room, roughly shoving them on it.

"Ouch, Ellie, what's wrong with you?" Chuck complained.

"How long has this been going on?"

"It's classified information," Sarah said lamely, rubbing her ear.

"Sarah, you know I'm going to find out eventually, so make it easy on yourself and spill the beans."

"I can't speak about Sarah, but I was recruited by the CIA on my senior year in Stanford."

"You've been lying to me for over five years? Don't answer that, I know you'll say yes. What about you, Sarah?"

"I was approached for recruitment even before Chuck was, just as I was finishing high school, in fact. But I didn't begin training until my senior year in Harvard."

"Really?" Chuck asked. "Bryce was recruited on our junior year. But we were in the Farm together."

"And we never met before Casablanca," Sarah mused. The interrogation turned into a private conversation between the two spies, who were now totally ignoring Ellie.

"It's not so strange. You must have been in a different section."

"You must be right, but I feel cheated somehow."

"Cheated?"

"Chuck, you can be so dense sometimes!" Ellie exclaimed, interrupting them. "She means to say that had you met her five years ago she'd still have fallen for you and you'd be doing whatever you spies do together."

"She's right," Sarah said with a shy smile. "I'd definitely have fallen in love with you back then for the same reasons I love you now."

Chuck just pulled her close and kissed her lovingly.

"What for the life of me I can't understand is how Morgan, the kid who took my pillow as his date to junior prom, ended up in the CIA," continued Ellie.

"Morgan is one of the best analysts and logistics specialists around. Bryce and I approached him for recruitment after getting approval from our boss."

"And he appears to have found his calling," Sarah added. "He's very efficient."

"Now it's your turn, sis."

"What, are you going to make me an agent?"

"No, I was thinking more along the lines of medical contractor. You are a great neurologist, so this is right up your alley."

"Remember when I used to take your pulse, temperature and blood pressure?"

"Ellie always wanted to become a doctor," Chuck explained to Sarah. "She used to read up anything medical related she could get her hands on and then practice on me, within reason, of course. She also treated me, Morgan and the other kids in the neighborhood every time we hurt ourselves playing." He turned back to Ellie. "Did I just answer your question?"

"Uh-huh. And now this amazing brain of yours is mine to poke around in."

"Hey! No needles or probing!"

"I can sympathize," Sarah said. "I don't like needles, either."

"I'll try to keep sticking you with needles to an absolute minimum," Ellie promised solemnly.

Right then, Devon walked in. Judging by his expression, Stephen and Mary told him about the Intersect. He sat down next to his girlfriend and looked at Chuck in wonder. "Awesome," he muttered.

"Devon, honey, what's wrong?"

"What? Uh, nothing. Your parents had me sign a non-disclosure agreement and told me about the Chuckster's condition."

"So, I'm the only one who has yet to learn the details. Charles Irving Bartowski, start talking."

"Before I start, care to tell me where Mom and Dad are, Captain?"

"They stayed in your place. Mary said something about wanting to see how it is now that Sarah lives with you. They'll respect your privacy, but she was really curious if she managed to make it look more grown up."

"I'm trying and so far failing miserably," Sarah told Devon.

"Still, it's an improvement to see you in a long term cohabitating relationship, Chuck," Mary said, entering the living room followed by her husband. "Keep trying, Sarah dear. And remember, baby steps."

"Time to tell you what the fuss is all about, Eleanor," Stephen added.

-o-

"Let me get this straight. Chuck, in addition to being a spy, now has an entire database of government secrets in his head, the result of a project you were closely involved in?"

"Yes, but I have to stress that the download into your brother's brain was purely accidental. Not many people are capable of absorbing it all without ill effects, but Chuck is one of them, as verified by my good friend and associate Professor Fleming while he was still in Stanford. Chuck has an excellent capacity for absorbing subliminal images, calculated to 98%."

"Then why was the data encoded into images?"

"The purpose of the Intersect computer was to facilitate access to the database by using the unique encoding to interface with a search engine accepting visual or auditory cues. If a match was found, the relevant data was decoded and displayed. The same thing that Chuck's brain does when he flashes on someone or something."

"And Chuck is the first person to upload it."

"Yes and no. You see, there have been three subjects so far. One had a limited upload, which was mission specific and deleted once the assignment was completed. The other one uploaded just a fraction of a beta version of the database, without the recently developed expansion pack."

"Does Chuck have the expansion pack?"

"I do, sis. In fact, it helps streamline the operation of the basic package."

"Okay, this is what we need to do. Chuck's vitals and brain function must be monitored, both in a normal state and with this Intersect in use."

"We can't do this in a public hospital, El," Devon pointed out.

"Hey, what am I here for?" Stephen piped up. "Orion Computers manufactures computer controlled medical equipment including EEG, ECG, MRI and CAT Scan machines. You can use these."

"Fine. I'll have to check my hospital schedule first, but it's definitely doable. I plan on examining Chuck as soon as possible."

-o-

Kathleen Casey looked up from the mess in her kitchen and saw a familiar 1985 Limited Edition Ford Crown Victoria park across the street. Taking her apron and rubber gloves off and throwing them to the side, she skipped to the front door. It flew open before the man on the other side could even slide his key in the lock.

"Hmmm, welcome home, Sugar Bear," she said, languidly kissing him.

"It's nice to be home, Kath."

"You won't be so pleased in a couple of minutes. Get out of that suit and put on something handyman-y. The plumbing in the kitchen is all shot to hell."

"How bad is it?"

"I've spent all morning trying to clean up the mess, so it's not as bad as it was when the pipe broke. Honey, I think we should start looking for a new place."

"I agree," he said when he saw just how right his wife was. "I'll be back here to help you ASAP. And then we'll talk about getting a new apartment. Where's Alex?"

"She's at work."

"I missed you ladies."

"We missed you too, Sugar Bear. Let's take a break and I'll show you just how much I missed you."

-o-

Major John Casey USMC/NSA was not one to mix business with his personal life, but the situation was pressing, so he stopped at a realtor's to pick up some brochures while on the way to Carmichael's, correction, Bartowski's place. One was still in his pocket when he knocked on the door of the CIA agent's apartment.

"Hello Casey, you're right on time. Come in."

"Thanks Burt- Walker, I mean."

"You already know most of the people here, so I'll just have to introduce you to the medical contractors, Drs. Ellie Bartowski and Devon Woodcomb," Sarah said. "Ellie, Devon, this is Major John Casey of the NSA. He'll be working with us."

Greetings were exchanged. Devon, observant as always, noticed the brochure sticking out from one of the big man's jacket pockets.

"Looking for a new place, Major?"

"Call him John or Casey, Captain," Chuck said. "To everyone else he's just a friend of mine."

"Captain?" Casey inquired.

"That's Devon's nickname, Captain Awesome," explained Morgan.

"Help yourself to some coffee," Bryce said, pointing to the coffee table.

*grunt* (Thanks, I need one)

"The apartment right across the courtyard is for sale," Devon offered. "You might want to know, John."

"Really?" Chuck asked.

"Yes, the owner is moving out of State."

"Finding a place so close to yours would be good for the mission, Bartowski, but I have my family to consider."

"What's to consider?" Jill said. A new family moving in here. It's the best cover."

"Only it's not a cover, Roberts."

"Still, it's an ideal situation. Naturally, your family won't be told about the true reason behind your presence here, but it's in a safe neighborhood and it's a great place."

"I'll have to ask my wife's opinion on it, as we'll be buying it together."

"Of course."

"We'll have to discuss my cover as well. The General was a little vague on the subject."

"I talked to Director Graham about it earlier and he promised to raise the issue with General Beckman. He suggests that you pose as a retired Marine officer and come to work with us in our cover business as a security systems specialist."

"It might work, but I'm not so sure about the retired part. Kathleen's bound to smell a rat."

"Yes, the Director failed to take that into account."

"I have an idea," Morgan said.

"Let's hear it, buddy."

"Before the Director presented his plan, I was searching for nearby Marine units where Major Casey could be ostensibly posted. Most are too far from here, specifically in San Diego and San Bernardino Counties, but he can always be transferred to the Marine Forces Reserve, at least on paper."

"Not a bad idea, Grimes."

"Thank you sir."

"My wife will be pleased. She doesn't know I work for the NSA, but thinks I'm in the intelligence section of some branch of the USSOCOM."

"See? We have answers for everything. I believe our cooperation will be quite fruitful."

"Enough talking shop for now. You can do the rest later or tomorrow," Ellie said. "Today, I have planned a little get-to-know the team gathering in my place next door. Sarah, does your offer to help stand?"

"Yes," Sarah replied firmly.

"Good. Come with me. The rest of you steer clear of my kitchen."

"Wait for me," Jill added.

-o-

The gathering in the Bartowski/Woodcomb residence was a huge success. For obvious reasons, Hartley Winterbottom's daughter had not been invited, but she had made other arrangements for the evening anyway, so there was no problem at all. The food Ellie, Sarah and Jill had prepared was excellent and although the conversation revolved around the Intersect the atmosphere was casual and friendly.

"And all I had to do was sit and look at a succession of specially encoded images. Then it was gone," Hartley told Chuck. Sarah and Ellie were hovering next to them, listening with rapt fascination. "Of course, in your case the method will be identical, but Stephen and I will need to work on the encoding."

"Dad mentioned something about a blocker file," Ellie said.

"Ah yes, the blocker just prevents the Intersect files from being accessed, but they are still in the host's head. And it can be unblocked at will, using another file. What we are talking about here is complete removal."

"I understand, but I needed clarification. Did you experience adverse effects from your download and its subsequent removal?"

"Not at all, dear Eleanor. The volume of the files was too low anyway."

"Chuck's upload resulted in him passing out."

"It was the volume, in all likelihood."

"I concur," Chuck said. "Although the files were automatically erased at the completion of the download, the email included a tag with the file size. It was enormous."

"Then how did it get sent in a regular email?" Sarah asked, intrigued.

"Dad and I developed a new compression format. It's easy to use, similar to creating a WinZip or WinRAR file, but it can take huge files and compress them to a size manageable by all email providers. The files sent to me used this very compression."

-o-

Later, Sarah was in her and Chuck's room, relaxing on the bed with one of the graphic novels she'd bought in Paris and waiting for her boyfriend to finish playing video games with Morgan and Bryce in the living room. A chorus of triumphant yells made her giggle. Obviously, the team had won again. The sound of the door opening and closing indicated that finally Morgan and Bryce were going home and Chuck would be joining her soon.

"Hey," he said, entering their room. "Enjoying your graphic novel?"

"It's very good," she replied. "But I've almost finished it."

"Which one is it?"

"The sixth."

He put on a t-shirt and sweatpants and got in bed beside her, sneaking a kiss on her pulse joint. She quickly finished reading and tossed the comic book on the nightstand, then turning to her boyfriend and attacking his mouth with hers, once again running her fingers through his unruly curls.

"Easy, Sarah, we've got all night."

"I can't help it. I'm hopelessly addicted to you."

"Are you now?"

"Ellie told me to encourage you to get a haircut."

"I probably should."

"She was right, your hair does make funny animal shapes when it grows too long. But don't cut it too short."

"As you wish."

"Just to be on the safe side, I'll cut it for you myself. I can do it, you know."

"I'd never doubt you, Sarah."

"Now shut up and take your clothes off, all of them."

"Bossy," he mocked her.

"Chuck!"

"I love you."

"I love you too."

-o-

"How was your day, John?" Kathleen asked when her husband returned home.

"It was okay, I guess."

"You guess? What happened?"

"To cut a long story short, I was offered another position, one that will allow me to stay here in LA for a while."

"And you're tempted to accept."

"Yes. It's a position with the Reserves."

"My beloved husband will become a weekend warrior?"

"Laugh all you want about it, Kath."

"Accept it."

"It won't be full time, but someone suggested that I can also work with a company in the private sector. My boss knows the people who run it."

"They're putting you out to pasture?"

"Temporarily, or at least they said so."

"You sure need a break. Besides, you'll have fun helping to train other Marines."

"Glad you think so, Babe. One more thing; I found a nice place we can consider buying and it's well within our budget."

"Tell me more," Kathleen encouraged, clearly interested.

"It's in Burbank, specifically in the Echo Park area."

"Not far from here. That's a plus."

"Mom, Dad, I'm home," their daughter called before he could voice his agreement.

"Where have you been, young lady?"

"I had the late shift at the diner, which was not that bad, as my boyfriend was not available tonight."

"Boyfriend?"

"You'll like him, John. He's a very nice young man," Kathleen said.

"If you say so. But I do want to meet him, Alex."

"You'll get your wish soon, Dad. So, any exciting news?"

"We may be moving soon."

"You found a place?"

"Yes, and it's not very far from here. It's much better, too." The Echo Park apartment was indeed far better than the current one the Casey family inhabited. Devon had showed it to Casey after the business meeting. "Now that you ladies are both here, you may want to look at some pictures I took."

"I'll get my laptop," Alex said.

Soon, the Casey family was gathered around the computer, looking at the cell phone pictures of the apartment. The women's reaction was very favorable, as not only was it in excellent condition, but they found it beautiful, too. In short, they decided to give it serious consideration.

-o-

First thing in the morning, Casey went to Echo Park again and knocked on Chuck's door. Sarah answered and frowned when she saw who it was.

"Do you have any idea what time it is, Casey?"

Casey took in her appearance, sleepy-eyed, hair tousled and wearing the oversized t-shirt she'd slept in. "It's time to get to work," he deadpanned.

"Well, don't just stand there, come in. Coffee?"

"Yes please, black and bitter. Where is Bartowski?"

"He's in the bathroom." She padded to the kitchen with Casey following.

"I came to see what security measures will have to be installed here. Since your 'boyfriend' is the Intersect, his safety is a national security matter."

"Chuck is already ahead of you. He and his father are going to improve the existing system, which is top of the line anyway."

"Will the system include surveillance of the interior?"

"This is our private residence, Casey. There will be no interior surveillance, period."

"I don't think General Beckman or Director Graham will agree with you."

"Look, Casey, both Chuck and I are experienced agents, more than qualified to defend ourselves. And in any case perimeter surveillance will be more than sufficient. Director Graham will agree with us, no matter what you think he'll say."

"We have to cover all bases."

"The outside surveillance will be good enough and combined with the home security system will make what you're proposing superfluous."

"Hey, good morning Casey," Chuck said, coming from the bedroom fully dressed. "What brings you here this early?"

"Like I told Walker, this place will need additional security."

"I'm already on it."

"Chuck, he wants to add interior surveillance," Sarah butted in.

"In here?"

"Yes."

"No. No way. This is my home and Sarah's. Interior surveillance will be completely unnecessary, especially after I'm through with the upgrades to the security system. If you want to monitor the courtyard and the outside of the complex, be my guest, but not my place. This is where I draw the line. Besides, you can also work with us on improving the security of our cover business."

"I'll go get dressed," Sarah said. "We have a briefing with the Director and the General in an hour."

"We'll be right here. More coffee, Casey?"


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N:** Like I promised, here's the beginning of some action. Enjoy!

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 15<strong>

Casey had just taken a leak and paused to tie a shoelace outside Chuck's office when he heard him and Sarah talking.

"They'll be sending you the first batch of intel to review soon," Sarah said. "Graham called me. And, frankly, I'm a little worried, Chuck."

"Why are you worried?"

"I don't know how it'll affect you, if you start flashing repeatedly. It's something we never discussed with your Dad, his team and Ellie."

"Sarah, the expansion pack will probably help there."

"Yes, but you've never flashed a lot so far. I'll call Ellie and Devon and have them come here."

"They're both working today. Tell you what, I'll do the review in stages."

"That's a good idea. And there is one more thing."

"Tell me."

"You have flashed twice on me and I'm a little scared. In the future you may see things about me that I have made serious efforts to forget. Things I'm not proud of having done."

"Sarah, I love you. Remember that. I'll never think less of you just because you were doing your job. If anything, I'll be even more proud of you, because you are both a great agent and a wonderful person."

"What have I done to deserve you?"

"You are you, Sarah."

"Thank you Chuck. I love you."

Outside, Casey was thinking about what he'd just overheard. Bartowski and Walker were romantically involved. It wasn't against regulations, but it could potentially complicate things. Hopefully, it wouldn't affect their focus. As to why they were keeping their relationship private, it was none of his business. But it would inevitably come to light, not that Graham or Beckman would mind, unless it interfered with their performance on the job. Grunting, he knocked and entered.

"Bartowski, Walker, the place is OK for now. I've made some observations and soon it'll have a state of the art security system, courtesy of the NSA."

"Casey, it'd be better to cut out the middleman and go directly to the source. Call my father and tell him what you need. He'll have it for you in no time at all."

"Really?"

"Who do you think the CIA and the NSA get that kind of stuff from?"

With a grunt of acknowledgment, Casey went to his new office and picked up the phone to call Stephen.

-o-

The atmosphere in the offices of the cover business was charged with excitement as four agents, an analyst and a scientist/agent gathered in the spacious and luxuriously furnished conference room, taking their seats at one end of the long table. Graham and Beckman appeared on a screen set up at the other end.

"Good morning people," began Graham. "I trust you have integrated Major Casey in your cover business."

"They have all been very accommodating, sir," Casey said.

"Excellent. Today we'll send the first batch of intel for Chuck to review and report his findings."

"Director, about that," Sarah interrupted her boss. "This is new territory for all of us and I believe we should tread lightly. We don't know anything about the long term effects the Intersect download and operation have on the human brain and it would be imprudent in the extreme to suddenly dump a heap of review requests on Chuck. Yes, the 2.0 expansion pack does streamline the function, but so far the flashes have been confined to a single subject each time. You are eager to utilize the database, but this is not a computer we'll be using, but a human being. Therefore, until we've had the chance to talk to the Intersect's creator and also to the medical contractors, Chuck should take plenty of breaks while doing the dailies and if possible split the daily volume in two."

"You have a point there, Sarah," Graham conceded and looked at his NSA counterpart.

General Beckman nodded in agreement. "Agent Bartowski's importance is well understood, Agent Walker. I agree; we should proceed with caution. But right now we have some material that needs to be reviewed urgently."

"Before we get down to business, General, there is another subject I'd like to discuss with you and Director Graham," Chuck said. "Earlier today, when discussing the security arrangements for my residence, Casey suggested the use of cameras and bugs to cover the interior. Sarah and I are totally against it. Perimeter surveillance will be more than adequate and it's not like we can't take care of ourselves."

"Agent Bartowski, your importance…"

"General, please hear me out. That place is my home. I understand you feel the need to take extraordinary measures to ensure my safety, but let's not go overboard."

"Let Chuck have this one, General," Graham said. "They're right. It's overkill."

"I have my reservations, but so be it. There will be no interior surveillance of your residence, Agent Bartowski."

"Glad we agree, ma'am."

"The urgent file has been sent to your email, Chuck. Let us know what you find."

"I'll call you as soon as I have the results."

-o-

Chuck was sitting behind his desk, diligently reading from the file. Sarah was sitting on a corner of the desk, her magnificent long legs crossed, but displaying a slight nervous tic. She couldn't help it, she was concerned about him.

"Nothing so far," he said soothingly.

"How can you be so calm?"

"Trust me, I'm still freaked out over the whole deal, but on the other hand I think it's kinda cool."

"Just get it over and done with. By the way, I put some aspirin in your desk drawer."

"Thanks, but I don't think I'll be needing it."

"Are you sure?"

He didn't answer at first. He finished scanning the file and then leaned back in his chair. "No flashes."

Sarah let out a relieved breath. "I'll call Graham."

"Tell him to send whatever else he has for me. I'll take a look at it later."

"Oh no, you won't, not until we talk to your Dad and you get a check up from Ellie and Devon."

"Sometimes you sound just like her, you know."

"We both love you, Chuck."

He pulled her into his arms and kissed her senseless.

-o-

"Are we done here?" Chuck asked, somewhat irritated.

"Not by a long shot, Chuckster," replied Devon. "El, we have established the control values."

"Good. Now let's see how the Intersect affects brain function. Keep your eyes glued to the ECG and holler if you see anything abnormal. Sarah, bring the laptop."

"Here you go, Chuck."

It felt like an eternity since Ellie and Devon began their examinations of him. The rest of the team was waiting in an adjoining room somewhere in the Orion building. Casey, Bryce and Morgan were killing time playing cards. Jill was reading a magazine, but her mind was not in it. She, like everyone else, was concerned. Chuck seemed to take it quite lightly, even cracking jokes about it.

"Wait!" Bryce called when Devon announced the beginning of phase two. "We'll need some means of recording the information Chuck recalls."

"Yes, we almost missed that," admitted Chuck. "I'll use my phone to record the information. Ellie, Devon, you're about to listen to some pretty classified stuff."

"Nothing's more classified than what you got in your noggin, Bartowski," Casey said.

"John's right, bro. Besides, we won't breathe a word about it to anyone."

"Let's do it."

Later, the recording with whatever information his flashes had provided was emailed to Graham and Beckman. Morgan had brought lunch, which they enjoyed together, the spy team listening to the medical team discussing the analysis of Chuck's test results. The good news was that peak values were all within normal limits, so the Intersect did not put undue strain on its host.

"I'll have to be going," Casey said. "My wife wants to see the apartment."

"Have a good time. And I think she'll love it."

"She liked it in the pictures."

"I'm off, too," Morgan said. "My girlfriend texted me and asked to pick her up from her class."

"Bryce and I are going home," Jill announced.

"That leaves you guys," Devon told Chuck and Sarah.

"Any plans?" Ellie added.

"Yeah, I have something in mind."

"Mind letting me in on it?" Sarah queried.

"It's a surprise."

-o-

"I like it very much out here, Chuck."

"The beach is my favorite place. I come here sometimes to relax and think."

She leaned back on him and pressed against his chest. "I can see why."

They both looked a bit out of place, sitting on the sand dressed in business suits, but they didn't care. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed the crook of her neck. They stayed there for a while, Sarah watching the ocean and enjoying the feel of the warm sand as it sifted between her toes. Chuck was solely focused on her.

"We should come here again," he suggested.

"As often as we can," she agreed. "We could even go swimming."

"Not bad. In fact, I like the idea."

"Now shut up and let me enjoy the sunset."

"OK. I'll watch it with you."

But then…

_A kite surfer_

_Photos of the yacht Floating Hope_

_Dossier on its owner, billionaire Lon Kirk_

_List of illegal activities Kirk was suspected of_

_The latest probable venture_

_List of contacts, suppliers, clients and accomplices_

_A kite surfer_

She felt him tense. "Chuck?"

"I flashed," he said miserably.

"On what?"

"See that yacht over there? It belongs to a guy named Lon Kirk. On the surface he's a billionaire philanthropist, but in reality he's heavily involved in many illegal ventures, the latest one being counterfeiting currency, according to the Intersect." He rose and helped her up. She collected her high heels and they both ran to her car.

-o-

"Thanks for the information, but this sounds like a job for law enforcement instead of intelligence agencies," Graham said after Chuck reported the flash.

"I beg to differ, sir. Kirk's client list includes many people we're after. Intercepting the printing plates he's about to move would be a step in the right direction."

"Fine. Handle it your way and I expect the usual good results. Keep us posted."

"What do we do now, Bartowski?" Casey asked. He, Sarah and Chuck were at the office. And he was not happy at having his time with Kathleen interrupted.

"First we assemble the team. Sarah?"

"Yes, Chuck?"

"Try to find information about Kirk outside what we already know. Look in social columns, gossip sites, you know, stuff like that."

"OK. Give me a few minutes. Anything else?"

"Not for now. I want to see what you can dig up before preparing a plan."

The others soon arrived and Chuck briefed them on the new assignment, their first as an inter-agency team. Quite unsurprisingly, considering his experience, Casey was smoothly integrated in the team, although they did have to start learning to decipher his grunts.

"Sarah and I took a good look at everything we could dig up on Lon Kirk," Morgan announced. "He has a luxurious home in Beverly Hills, but he rarely stays there, using it mostly for parties and stuff. He prefers to stay in his yacht."

"Go on," Chuck encouraged.

"The Floating Hope has a fully automated control system. And guess who installed it."

"Tell us."

"It was installed by the Buy More Nerd Herd."

"No shit!"

Sarah was a little perplexed, until she remembered that Chuck had worked as a Nerd Herder in the past. Then she had an idea. "Can we access it remotely?"

"If we can get sufficiently close to be in range of a remote control, yes," Chuck replied without hesitation. "I did a couple of similar installs myself back in the day."

"Then all we have to do is get close enough to Kirk's yacht."

"The question is how," Casey interjected.

"Morgan had a good idea," replied Sarah. "Give me a few minutes to check on availability and we'll talk about it then." She took her cell phone and retired to her office to make a call. She was back a few minutes later. "It's settled," she said, beaming. "We have the full use of a yacht confiscated from a drug dealer by the DEA. We can pick it up from a federal impound yard any time tomorrow. Then we'll sail it right next to Kirk's."

"How did you manage to do it so fast?" Bryce asked.

"Her big sister is a DEA agent," Chuck informed him. "You guys know her, we had the pleasure of working with her in the past."

"Carina Miller," Jill guessed.

"Correct!"

"At least she didn't make a pass at Bryce. But she did consider Chuck fair game."

"But he stayed focused on the job and managed to resist her," Morgan added.

*grunt* (Walker is Miller's little sister? O, Dark Gods of the Underworld, why me?)

"Anyway," continued Morgan, "I took the liberty of ordering some props from the local office. I'll go pick them up in the morning and I'll meet you at the impound yard."

"Great job, guys. Now, about the covers…"

"Easy," Sarah said. "You and I will be the wealthy Mr. and Mrs. Carmichael, Casey the Captain of the yacht, Jill our executive assistant, while Bryce and Morgan can be the crew."

"Do you guys agree with the casting?" Chuck asked. There were affirmative nods all round.

The following morning they drove to the impound yard where their yacht was kept. It was a beautiful vessel, with state of the art equipment and luxuriously furnished. Morgan directed a technical crew that had been detailed to assist them as they painted over the name on the stern and then applied a large decal with the new name of the boat. The lifebelts and the tender got the same treatment.

"I forgot to bring a champagne bottle for Mrs. Carmichael to christen her," Morgan said in mock regret.

"The Black Pearl?" Sarah queried, seeing the name. "Why did you choose that?"

"I see Chuck didn't get the chance to introduce you to the Pirates of the Caribbean movies yet," he replied. "Captain Casey, I present you your command."

"Thank you Grimes."

"Let's get the show on the road," Bryce said. The lines were cast off and the newly renamed yacht sailed away from the impound yard dock, setting a course for the marina. The final preparations were made while underway. Casey, Bryce and Morgan changed into appropriate uniforms. Jill was already wearing a crisp business suit, and finally Chuck and Sarah put on outfits casual but befitting their status as a millionaire couple. The final touch was to hoist the Jolly Roger on a small flagpole abaft the flying bridge.

Casey steered the beautiful craft carefully into the marina and maneuvered it close to the Floating Hope. The anchor was lowered and the mooring lines slipped over the bollards. Then the gangplank was lowered.

"Mr. Carmichael," he called.

"Yes, Captain?" Chuck emerged from the master stateroom.

"We docked."

"Excellent work, Captain. I believe you and the crew can splice the mainbrace now."

"Thank you sir."

"I vaguely remember this as having something to do with alcohol," Sarah whispered.

"Yes, it's from a British navy tradition. They hand out extra rum rations to celebrate when an occasion calls for it."

"Kirk just came out to take a look at his new neighbors."

"Let's not disappoint him. After you, Mrs. Carmichael."

"Why, thank you Mr. Carmichael."

They stepped out on the after deck together, his arm circling her waist, playing their roles to perfection, right down to the cocktail glass she was holding. Kirk saw them and gave them a friendly wave.

"Hello," he said.

"Hello," Chuck replied.

"Howdy," Sarah said, in a Texas accent.

"Are you guys new here?"

"Yes, we just bought this baby and decided to have it kept as close to home as possible. The name's Carmichael, by the way, Charles Carmichael. Call me Charles or Charlie. This is my wife Sam."

"Lon Kirk. You can call me Lon, Charles."

"Nice meeting you."

"Likewise. We should have drinks sometime, since we're now neighbors, at least as far as our boats are concerned."

"Sure, I'd love that. But first I'll have to return from a trip I'm planning."

"Will you be gone long?" Sarah drawled.

"Just as long as it takes to sail to Taiwan, deliver a load of humanitarian aid and return. The latest typhoon to hit the island was very devastating."

"Yes, it was dreadful, wasn't it honey?" Sarah said. "We saw it on the news."

Jill stepped out on the deck and approached her 'bosses'. "Mr. Carmichael, you have a call from Mr. Lang and he says it's urgent."

"Thank you Ms. Sands. Lon, Sam, excuse me. I really have to take this." He disappeared inside.

"Your husband looks busy, Sam."

"He is," she replied. "But I don't mind much. I know he does it for me and I try to be as supportive and helpful as I can."

"Charles sounds like a lucky man to me."

"He is. And I'm lucky to have him."

"You have a southern accent, Sam. Let me guess: Texas?"

"Right outside of Galveston," she confirmed. "I met my Charles in Paris, where I was working for one of his firms. We got married when we returned home. Tell me more about your trip to Taiwan, Lon."

"I visited the place often while on business trips there and fell in love with it and the people. So, I decided to help them in any way I can."

"How noble of you," she smiled.

"Sam!" Chuck called. "Can you please come here? Mr. Lang and I need your input on a rather pressing issue."

"Coming! Excuse me, Lon."

"By all means."

Sarah went inside to find the others clustered around a bank of computers set up back at the impound yard. "What have you got?"

"We are about to access his control system," replied Morgan. "There is no one on the bridge, I checked. The captain is supervising some work on the foredeck and the first officer is nowhere to be seen. Hold on… We're in!"

"Access the navigation logs."

"The boat hasn't moved in the last week."

"Good, that means he still hasn't moved the plates," Casey deduced.

"I wonder if he's hidden them in the aid supplies crates," Chuck mused. "It would be the ideal setup."

"It makes sense," Bryce agreed. "Customs usually clears those with a minimum of fuss."

"Okay, so we need to board his boat and search it. Since we can't sling hooks and swing over on ropes, we'll have to sneak in at night. Walker, I think you should do a little infiltration and inducement," Casey said.

"No, it'll look suspicious if I suddenly decided to cheat on my 'husband'. Besides, I saw the way the sleaze bag was ogling my chest and torpedoed him before he could even make a pass at me."

"Dammit, Walker, why did you do that? I know you and Bartowski here are bumping uglies, but I expected more professional behavior from you."

"What Chuck and I do on our own time is none of your business. And, like I said, he may get wind that something's up if I suddenly started flirting with him, even if I had not demonstrated my faith to Mr. Carmichael."

"She's right, Casey."

"Fine. But we'll sneak aboard his yacht tonight. Bartowski, Walker and I will be the boarding party. Larkin will cover us from here. Grimes, I want us to be able to cast off at a moment's notice, should the need arise."

"You got it."

"Then it's time to get our gear ready."

To be continued


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N:** As promised, here comes the action. I'd really like to thank you for your continuing support, with special thanks to the staff of the third community to include this story in their archives.

Without further ado…

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 16<strong>

Morgan was in the galley preparing lunch, while also participating in the discussion about the upcoming foray into Kirk's yacht. Sarah and Jill were helping here and there, but he firmly held the reigns in cooking. They changed some parts of the plan. Instead of Bryce covering them from the Black Pearl, he would do so from a clump of bushes ashore. This way they would not blow the cover if they were unsuccessful the first time. The change also mandated having a getaway car, a role assigned to Casey's Crown Vic. The rest of the plan remained unchanged. Sarah, Chuck and Casey would go in the water and swim to the Floating Hope, climbing aboard using the anchor chain.

"Sarah, try this sauce," Morgan said, holding up a spoon.

It sent her taste buds to gourmet heaven. "Do you cook for your girlfriend like that?"

"Of course," he beamed.

"Morgan went to culinary school before he was recruited as an analyst," Bryce explained to Casey.

"And this is my girl," Morgan said proudly, taking a photograph from his wallet and showing it to Casey.

Casey was not a cartoon, but he certainly displayed certain cartoon-like reactions upon seeing the girl in the picture. He went pale, then red with anger, his eyes bulged and the veins and muscles of his neck tautened. His huge paw reached out and, grabbing Morgan by the throat, lifted the short man off the galley deck. "Grimes," he growled. "This is my little girl!"

The first instinct Chuck, Sarah, Bryce and Jill had was to run to Morgan's aid, but then burst into guffaws. "Casey, let him go," Chuck said.

"I. Will. Kill. You."

"Casey!"

"Grrrrrrrrr."

"Come on buddy, put him down." Incredibly, Casey did.

"Alex is your *cough* daughter?" Morgan croaked as soon as he was able to breathe again. "I mean, yes, her last name is Casey, but for the life of me I could never imagine that such a sweet girl is your daughter."

"She took after her mother," Casey admitted. "Grimes, I reacted impulsively. You seem to be a good kid, and it's Alex's life, so I'm willing to give you a chance. But she's my only child, so be warned. If you break her heart I'll break your everything."

"Sir, I give you my word, I'd never do anything to hurt Alex."

"Okay."

"But I'm counting on your support should the job… um… get in the way."

"I understand, Grimes. And I'll help."

"Thank you sir. I could ask for nothing more."

"Now get back to cooking before anything gets burned."

Over lunch the final details of the night's operation were worked out. Two places would be searched: the safe in the office and the aid crates stored under a tarp on the foredeck.

"Ahoy the ship," Kirk called from his yacht. Chuck stepped out on the deck.

"Hey Lon, what's up?" Chuck said. Sarah, not one to let the opportunity to show the scumbag exactly who held the keys to her heart, rose from her seat and joined her 'husband' at the railing.

"I'm holding a party tonight on my boat and you're both invited."

"Tonight?"

"Yes, why?"

"I'm afraid we can't make it, Lon. Remember my client, Mr. Lang? He's coming to LA and he wants to meet us today to work out some details for our deal. And I can't postpone the meeting."

"Well, if you finish early enough you know where to find me. I'll give your names to the crewman at the gangplank, just in case you can make it."

"Okay, but don't expect much. This contract is too important to our company to screw up."

"You can always take a raincheck, Charles. At worst, we can get together for drinks after I return from my trip."

Chuck and Sarah hustled back inside. "Did you guys hear that?"

"Yep," replied Casey. "The operation will have to be postponed. We can't go in tonight."

"You can say that again," Bryce grumbled. "I'll let the Boss know."

"Chuck and Sarah need to go to the office for their 'meeting' with 'Mr. Lang'. Of course, they'll have to get back here at an appropriately late hour," suggested Jill.

"Roberts's right."

"I know, Casey. I'll just go to the office and work through the dailies. I reckon it won't take long."

"We can go to the gym afterwards," Sarah said.

"I like the way you think." They liked going to the gym as often as their job allowed. Their sparring sessions were eagerly awaited by the other patrons, too, especially after an impudent guy had made the mistake of challenging Chuck to a match. He chuckled as he remembered how she insisted on teaching the other guy a lesson herself, claiming that Chuck was hogging all the fun. The man was twice her size but she had him down in no time at all, letting everyone know that she was not to be trifled with. And when Chuck himself decked one of the more experienced martial arts instructors during a friendly match, the message was clear: don't mess with those two.

The dailies were over quickly and did not cause many flashes. Chuck looked at his watch after submitting his report and sighed. They still had plenty of time to kill before having to go back to the Black Pearl. A quick talk with Sarah confirmed their earlier arrangement, so they went home, packed their gym bags and went to spend a couple of hours working out, followed by a long shower together after they returned home and before rejoining their team. They trusted the others to call should anything noteworthy happen.

"Any news?" Chuck asked, checking his phone for missed calls.

"No. Should we call them?"

"Perhaps later," he said. He finished changing and plopped down on the bed. "Wanna watch some TV?"

"It's not like we have something better to do," she replied and cuddled with him. Apparently, Sarah was more tired than she cared to admit, for about half an hour later she was sound asleep, pressed up against Chuck. He noticed and tried to make her more comfortable without causing her shirt and skirt, identical to the ones she'd been wearing earlier, wrinkle too much. She murmured contentedly but did not wake up, instead draped a leg over his and snuggled even closer.

A very sweet dream later, she felt him shake her shoulder. "Sarah, wake up."

"Huh? How long have I been asleep?"

"Not long, but we have to head back."

"Did the others call while I was in Dreamland?"

"No, it's all quiet. Kirk's party must still be on, but it should be winding down." She put on her shoes and her jacket. "Let's go. Did you get any sleep?"

"Yes, and it was very refreshing. But we'll have to come up with something to do, because I'm not in the mood for going back to sleep right now."

"Whatever we do, it'll have to be consistent with our cover," she replied and winked.

-o-

The last guests were leaving Kirk's yacht when Chuck and Sarah walked holding hands towards their boat's gangplank. Kirk waved at them and they waved back, tiredly shuffling aboard the Black Pearl, pretending they had a rough day at work. Once inside and away from prying eyes, they became all businesslike again.

"Casey, status report," Chuck said. The others were already in mission gear, which puzzled him a bit.

"There are no more guests left on the Floating Hope. Kirk will soon turn in for the night, as he's been hitting the sauce quite heavily tonight."

"I thought he looked drunk," remarked Sarah.

"We have a window of opportunity for tonight, as soon as the caterers leave."

"Jeez, Casey, I meant to ask you, why the rush?"

"Chuck, the coordinates for the trip to Taiwan were programmed into the navigation computer earlier today," Bryce explained.

"Then he plans to leave as soon as possible. OK, we go in tonight."

"We got the gear ready."

"Good. The plan remains the same. We go into the water from the port side, Bryce provides sniper overwatch and the rest of us search the boat."

"My Vic is in position," Casey said, not needing to be prompted.

"Jill and I stay here, keeping an eye on things and making the Black Pearl look like everything is normal," Morgan added.

"Bartowski, Walker, go change."

Four figures clad from head to toe in forbidding black appeared amidships on the port side of the Black Pearl and quietly went over the railing into the water. One of them detached from the group and made his way to shore. There, darting from cover to cover, he went to a clump of bushes and hid there. The others swam around the bow of the luxury boat and finally reached the anchor chain of the Floating Hope. They paused there for a few seconds, alert for any sign of discovery. Morgan's voice in their headpieces told them that the way was clear. A slim silhouette climbed up the anchor chain nimbly like a monkey and went over the gunwale, crouching on the deck, weapon drawn. The other two followed in quick succession.

To the well trained agents, voice communication was unnecessary. Using hand signals, they coordinated their movement and soon reached the tarp-covered aid crates stored under an awning on the foredeck. Sarah and Casey covered Chuck, who took a handheld metal detector from a waterproof pouch and proceeded to wave it around the wooden crates. Sure enough, it soon registered the presence of metal in one. Looking around, he found a crowbar and pried the crate open as quietly as he could. He then slipped his night vision goggles on his head and looked inside. There, safely stowed in bubble wrap, was their objective: several sets of printing plates. Still covered by his partners, Chuck stashed them inside a small briefcase, attached a black inflatable float to it and slowly lowered it into the water, then slinging the weighted end of the line over to the Black Pearl. His aim was perfect and the line wrapped itself around the railing. Morgan crept out and retrieved it.

The main part of the job was done, but the three spies did not leave Kirk's boat. They still had to search it for more intel. Chuck and Casey made steps with their hands and propelled Sarah to the open sliding window of Kirk's office, which was located one deck up. Casey then helped Chuck follow her and took up position behind the crates once the two younger agents were in.

Chuck covered the door while Sarah tossed the office, rifling through the desk drawers and then expertly cracking the safe. Wanting to make it look like a garden variety burglary, she stuffed all cash, bonds and jewelry in a bag slung around her shoulder. She and Chuck switched places when she was done and he quickly cloned Kirk's hard drive, replaced the network card with his own custom made gadget and bugged the communications console.

Their luck changed just as they were about to go over the side and swim back to the Black Pearl. One of Kirk's crewmen decided to go out for a smoke and spotted them at the railing near the bow. He yelled a warning and drew a firearm. It was the last thing he ever did. Casey's suppressed SIG Sauer and Bryce's sniper rifle coughed simultaneously, sending the man sprawling on the deck, dead. Now discovered, the three spies dove cleanly into the black water and swam for their lives.

Lon Kirk saw them from his cabin. Despite the drunken haze clouding his mind, he knew that if the thieves managed to get behind the neighboring yacht they'd disappear for good. He couldn't let that happen. He opened a secret closet and picked up the first weapon he found, a Carl-Gustaf 84-mm recoilless rifle, and ran outside.

Chuck saw him preparing to aim it at them as they swam together to the cover the Black Pearl's flaring bow would provide. As a seasoned agent, trained in the use of many weapons, he knew that they were too close for the warhead to arm, but even the impact of a dud could cut a human body in two, not to mention that even if it missed them the round could still explode on contact with the sea bottom, the concussion turning them all into fish bait. Automatically, he aimed his P99 at Kirk and fired. The shot missed the man entirely, but hit the bottom of the steel tube, jerking it sharply upwards. Lacking experience with weapons and thus completely ignorant of any trigger discipline principles, Kirk had his finger on the trigger when Chuck's shot hit his weapon.

The results were nothing less than spectacular. The recoilless rifle was pointing almost vertically upwards when its trigger was pulled. The high explosive round loaded in its breech left the tube in a cloud of smoke and a bright flash of flame, the acrid propellant gases choking Kirk and knocking him out cold. The 84-mm projectile punched through the awning and shot into the night sky. Reaching its zenith, it started falling back to earth, the contact fuse now live. It landed on a car in the nearby parking lot, blowing it apart.

In the meantime, Chuck, Sarah and Casey climbed a set of boarding ladders slung over the side of their boat and disappeared inside the superstructure. Wanting to be convincing, they immediately shed their wetsuits and other gear, appearing to rush to the deck to see what the sudden bedlam of noise was all about. Chuck and Sarah were swathed in towels, as if they'd rushed out from the shower, while Casey was in his shorts. Jill and Morgan also appeared outside their respective cabins, wearing their pajamas.

"Call 911!" Sarah yelled to Casey.

"Yes ma'am." Of course the call would bring an NSA team in addition to local law enforcement and the fire department to the scene. Then his gaze was drawn to the blaze in the parking lot. His heart sank when he realized exactly what had happened.

"Casey, is that…?" Chuck asked.

"…"

"Looks like his car," Sarah remarked."

"I… I'd just reupholstered the prisoner containment area," Casey said numbly, still not wanting to believe the catastrophe that had befallen his beloved Crown Vic. "I'd installed a satellite tracking system in the license plate… I was going to install weapons."

"I'm sorry, buddy," Chuck said sincerely.

Casey alternated between watching the burning wreck of his car in shock and throwing angry glances at Chuck. He knew that the young CIA agent was partly to blame for this.

"Come on," Sarah said, taking Casey by the arm and starting to lead him inside. "You look like you need a stiff drink."

-o-

"Well done, ladies and gentlemen," Graham said during the debriefing the following morning. "You not only intercepted the plates before they could be delivered, but the intel you recovered led us to Kirk's engraver and a number of his associates."

"Thank you sir," Chuck replied.

"Where is Major Casey?" Beckman asked.

"He had some personal business to attend to, ma'am. And speaking of Casey, shouldn't the Agency reimburse him for the destruction of his car?"

"Indeed," Sarah said. "Personal property of agents damaged or destroyed in the performance of their duties has to be replaced as per regulations."

"He took it bad," Morgan added. "Even worse for him was having to borrow his wife's minivan."

"I feel for the guy," Bryce added. "There is a very special bond between a man and his car. And his Crown Vic was a classic."

"Hey! That's sexist," Sarah objected. "I adore my car and I'm a woman."

"Okay, fine. A person and their car can form a special bond," Bryce relented.

"Better."

Jill chuckled, but didn't speak. Then she remembered something. "Sir, ma'am, what about the humanitarian aid Kirk had on his yacht? Shouldn't it be delivered to its intended recipients?"

"We contacted the International Committee of the Red Cross," Graham said. "They'll take it from here."

"Good to know, sir."

"Wrap up the operation. We'll contact you if anything comes up. Chuck, we also sent you the first batch of dailies for today."

"I'll get right on it, Boss."

Graham signed off and the five people filed out of the conference room to go to their respective offices. Casey arrived at lunchtime, bringing some food.

"How are you doing, big guy?" Chuck asked.

"I have some good news for a change," he said as he passed the takeout containers around. "Kathleen and I signed the papers and put down a deposit for the apartment across from yours. We'll start moving in later today."

"Congratulations. By the way, I think we convinced Graham and Beckman to replace your car."

"Really?"

"The regulations have a provision that can be applied in your case. After all, your car was collateral damage in the completion of a mission."

"Thanks guys."

"Don't mention it. Hey, we can help you move in if you want. I can even borrow a truck from my Dad's company to move your furniture."

"I'll take you up on your offer, Bartowski."

-o-

The moving was completed just before dinnertime. While they were working, Kathleen and Alex made certain to keep everyone well supplied with refreshments. Afterwards, Ellie invited them all to dinner at her place. Mrs. Casey took a liking to her neighbors immediately, even though she was blissfully ignorant of what was going on. She couldn't care less anyway. All that mattered was having her husband around.

Later, during the night, Chuck found Casey in the courtyard sitting on the fountain and puffing on a cigar. He approached him and offered him a beer, which Casey took gratefully.

"You know, Bartowski, we forgot one thing."

"Really? What?"

"We gotta return the yacht to the impound yard."

"Damn, you're right, we totally forgot about it."

"I wouldn't worry about it," Sarah said, stepping out the Morgan Door and joining the two men at the fountain. "We'll return it to the impound yard, but it'll remain available for us to use as required. I pulled some strings with the DEA to make it happen, but if we ever find ourselves in need of a boat we won't even have to look for one."

"Good job, Sarah," Chuck said and pulled her on his lap.

*grunt* (get a room you two)

They smiled and just sat there, drinking their beers in silence.

"Goodnight Casey," they said in unison a little while later.

"Goodnight."

-o-

"Exactly why didn't we ask the others to help?" Chuck asked as he prepared to cast off the lines and raise the gangplank.

"Oh, relax. I'm perfectly capable of handling her. So are you, by the way."

"So?"

"Do your job, sailor. I'll answer your question in due time."

"I'll hold you to that."

Sarah expertly steered the yacht out of the marina, but instead taking it to the impound yard she set a course for a quiet cove nearby. She smiled seeing her boyfriend's questioning glance.

"We do have to get it to the impound yard today, but that doesn't mean we have to do it right now."

Chuck saw her smile and immediately wised up to the plan. Instead of replying, he hoisted the small Jolly Roger on its staff again.

"Oh my… does a helpless wench have anything to fear, alone in the high seas with Captain Carmichael, the notorious pirate?"

"Me bonnie lass," he replied, "I'll have you know that I fully intend to claim my share of the swag right now, arrrrrrrrr!" With that, he hoisted her over a shoulder and carried her kicking and giggling to the master stateroom one deck below, pausing only to grab a bottle of rum with his free hand and then continuing to his destination.


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N:** The past week was a little hectic for me, so I was not able to update as soon as I originally wanted. Hopefully, this will be interesting enough to make up for the delay.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 17<strong>

Sarah emerged from the master stateroom, wearing a black gold-studded bikini and a matching short sarong. She padded to the zareba-enclosed deck forward of the bridge and took one of the reclining chairs. Chuck joined her there a few minutes later.

"Wow," he said. "You look fantastic, Mrs. Carmichael."

"Thank you dear husband," she joked back. "Could you please help me with the suntan lotion?"

"Sure." He squirted some on his hands and gently massaged it in her shoulders and back.

"I wish we didn't have to take her back."

"Yeah, well, at least we can take her any time we need her."

"By the way, how are we supposed to get back home?"

"Damn! We didn't think of that. We must be slipping."

"Call Morgan and ask him to give us a ride home."

They sat there holding each other, enjoying the afternoon sun as it beat down on their minimally clothed bodies. Then Chuck had an idea.

"I know how we can keep the Black Pearl."

She was immediately interested. "Tell me."

"Dad always wanted a boat to test all his ideas about adapting advanced control systems usually found in aircraft to other uses. She'll be the ideal test bed. Her bridge will allow him to keep the old systems as backup, too."

"I'll make a few calls," she volunteered. "Then maybe we can take her back to the marina instead of the impound yard."

"You mean you'll have Carina get the ball rolling."

"Something like that," she replied smiling.

The sun had just disappeared over the western horizon when they finally got home. From the courtyard, they could hear the sound of conversation and laughter coming from Ellie and Devon's apartment. Chuck recognized his father's voice and went to knock on his sister's door with Sarah in tow.

"Chuck!" Ellie squealed happily. "You're right on time! Don't you guys just stand there, come in!" She pulled them inside, guided them to sit down and handed a bottle of beer to Chuck and a glass of good wine to Sarah. In addition to her and Devon, both Chuck's parents were there, as were Hartley and Vivian.

"How are things at work, Charles?" Hartley asked.

"We completed another job just yesterday."

"Marvelous!"

"We got paid well, too," Sarah added, not missing a beat.

"Talking about work can be such a bore," Vivian complained. "All I've heard Dad and Uncle Stephen talk about since I got here is work."

"One more thing and we'll change the subject," Chuck said and turned to his father. "I found a boat for you and we can get her dirt cheap."

The elder Bartowski was immediately interested. "Go on, son."

"The DEA confiscated her and we can pull some strings to keep her off the next auction schedule. She's perfect for what you want, Dad. She has a spacious, old fashioned bridge and can accept both a new control system while keeping the original manual controls as a backup. I already named her, by the way."

"He calls her the Black Pearl," Sarah said and sipped her wine.

"Typical," Ellie laughed. "Did he promise you to…?"

"Yes, we'll have the Pirates of the Caribbean marathon as soon as we have some extra free time."

"You can trust him to keep the promise, Sarah."

Not long afterwards, the women were gathered together, discussing topics of interest to them, while the men briefly talked about work in hushed tones and then redirected their attention to the photos of the boat Chuck had taken with his smartphone.

"You know you can have her any time you want, right son?" Stephen said. "After all, you found her for me."

"Sure. I imagine she'll look great flying the Orion flag right alongside the Jolly Roger."

Hartley, ever practical, took a closer look at the photos. The boat was more like a missile boat in size and superstructure configuration. "She has room for everything except for a helicopter pad."

"Let's not expect too much from a forty meter boat."

"Still, how would you like to spend one of our weekends on her, Mrs. Bartowski?" Stephen asked his wife, showing her a particularly good photo.

"Why, I'd thought you'd never ask, Mr. Bartowski," Mary replied playfully. "And not just one," she added.

-o-

A few days later, in the office, Chuck busied himself with the dailies, while Sarah and Morgan were going over some logistics. To maintain their cover, they had to do some actual consulting work and everyone else was busy with that. To their pleasant surprise, the biggest issue was security for the client's facility and Casey was only too pleased to tackle it. And having first hand experience with the effectiveness of Orion security systems he didn't think twice about recommending them to the client.

Chuck looked up from his computer when Sarah placed a fresh mug of coffee on his desk. "Everything OK, Sarah?"

"Yes," she replied with a warm smile. "Morgan and I are just about done. And FYI Casey's going to get a new Crown Vic today. We found just the right one and it's well within the budget Graham and Beckman approved."

"Really?"

"And it's in mint condition, too. Casey will be very happy, I reckon."

"I think he'll be even happier when he pimps it up exactly like the old one. Pimp my ride, NSA style," Chuck laughed.

"Was he serious about installing weapons?"

Chuck thought for a moment and then flashed. "It's certainly doable, so I think he was dead serious. Both the NSA and the CIA developed various concealed weapon installations for agents' cars. There are options that could even fit in your Porsche."

"No thank you. I like my baby just the way she is."

"Bartowski, Walker, we have a briefing," Casey called. "Conference room, now."

"We'll be right there," Sarah called back. The two lovebirds got up and hurried to the conference room, taking their seats as the rest of the team filed in.

"Good morning ladies and gentlemen," General Beckman said. "We have an exigent situation. Last night, a Defense Department communications relay satellite malfunctioned. Ground based radar tracked it until just before it crashed in the Sonoran Desert, near the border with Mexico."

"Excuse me General, but wouldn't the heat from reentry destroy the satellite?" Chuck interrupted her.

"Yes and no. Certain parts of the satellite, particularly the mission modules, were designed to be reusable following recovery. Therefore, the casings will have survived reentry."

"Those modules are chock full of secret technology," Graham said. "We can't afford them falling into the wrong hands. Given their sensitive nature, they are not equipped with homing devices for recovery, as any such action would be preceded by manipulating the reentry trajectory so that it would impact a predetermined area."

"All the relevant information will be sent to you in a few minutes. Be prepared to spend a few days camping out in the desert, people, because even with the radar data, the area you'll have to search covers several square miles."

"Yes ma'am."

"The NSA is sending another team from Arizona to look for the one of the modules, which landed further south than the others."

"So, how many modules are we looking for?" Casey inquired.

"Just two, Major," Beckman replied.

"Send us the radar data, ma'am," Chuck suggested. "I'll try to narrow the search field further, possibly down to a few hundred square meters for each module."

"Do you think it's feasible, Agent Bartowski?"

"Sure, why not? I have access to a few world class supercomputers and if it's going to make our life out in the desert easier…"

"Handle it as you see fit, Chuck. Report back to us when you're ready to go," Graham said and terminated the connection.

Chuck turned to Morgan. "Buddy," he began.

"I know," Morgan smiled. "I'll handle the logistics and stay here while you're out frying in the Sonora."

"Do I get to come along?" Jill asked. "I've passed desert survival training."

"The more the merrier," replied Casey.

"You'll need two vehicles," Morgan piped up.

"I can get my Dad's old Bronco," Chuck said. "Which leaves one to be requisitioned. And speaking of vehicles… Casey, the application for funding to replace your Vic was approved. Sarah and Morgan found one for you, too."

"Thanks guys. I'll check it out when we get back. Grimes, about the second vehicle…"

"Don't worry, Major. I am putting in a request for an all terrain four door vehicle with a cargo bed. It'll be enough to accommodate two or three of you plus your gear and of course the satellite modules."

Casey grunted approvingly. He'd never admit it, but he enjoyed working with them, as they were a thoroughly competent bunch. Even Morgan was a lot more than he looked. Of course, he could do without the movie and video game evenings and marathons Chuck regularly hosted in his place, but as long as their performance on the job was not affected, he didn't care.

The day was spent preparing for the mission. In addition to the vehicle, and they could choose between a Hummer, a Chevy Avalanche, an ex-military Chevy M1008 CUCV and a Dodge Ram 2500, other items had to be procured, namely suitable clothing, outdoor gear, equipment for the safe handling of the recovered modules, plus food and water. Casey finally settled on the Hummer, as it was easier to mount weapons on, having retained the rooftop ring mount during its conversion from a military to a civilian vehicle. It also had a central tire pressure control system, a winch and powerful halogen spotlights, all potentially useful for the mission.

They set out from Burbank in the crack of dawn, driving south towards the Sonoran Desert. To the unsuspecting eye they looked just like any group of friends going to experience the thrill of off road driving in the desert. A plastic tarp was stretched over the Hummer's cargo bed, covering extra fuel canisters, survival gear and mission equipment. The back seat of Chuck's Bronco held his and Sarah's stuff and some more mission gear. Throughout the drive, all five agents kept up a lighthearted banter over the encrypted communications systems installed in both vehicles. Casey, along with Bryce and Jill were in the Hummer, leaving the other couple alone in the Bronco.

Sarah smiled as she recalled the expression on Devon's face when they told him that they were going off-roading into the desert. He was going out on an early morning run when he saw them hopping on their vehicles. An extreme sports buff, the doctor was kind of jealous and would have volunteered to join them, but he had a shift at the hospital.

It took them a few hours to reach their destination, with the necessary breaks at rest stops for snacks and trips to the bathroom. Almost six hours after departing Burbank, they reached the first search grid. The sun was beating down mercilessly as the two vehicles inched forward along parallel routes, keeping a distance of two hundred feet between them, their occupants scanning the terrain for any sign of their objective. Several times they stopped to investigate promising looking items, which turned out to be rocks, garbage or junk.

Sarah was standing on the seat of the Bronco when she took her canteen and drank some water, feeling great as it gushed down her parched throat. She was about to take another swig when she saw the sun glinting off of something a couple of hundred yards ahead. "Chuck, I see something!"

"Where?"

"Over there, about two hundred yards on our one o'clock."

"Casey, Sarah has eyes on something. Stop here. We're going to check it out."

Casey acknowledged and stopped the Hummer, effectively marking the latest point of the coordinated search effort. The Bronco sped forward, the breeze created by its movement having a welcome cooling effect on its occupants. Sarah dismounted to inspect the object. It was a rectangular metal box with a deflated parachute attached to it. "Scratch one," she told Chuck, who in turn informed the others. Soon, the shroud lines were cut and the parachute was buried in the sand, while the recovered module was sealed in a special container and loaded on the back of the Hummer. Their spirits lifted, they set off on the search for the second module.

The area they had to search was not far, but they had to do the same slow, methodical search. It was almost dark and they were beginning to think that they'd have to extend the search into the next day when Bryce spotted it, the parachute tangled in the arms of a saguaro cactus. The recovery process was repeated and a second container took its place next to the first.

"It's getting dark," remarked Chuck.

"We finished earlier than we expected, nonetheless," Casey said. "You did a good job narrowing down the search field, Bartowski."

"Thanks."

"I'm bushed," Jill complained. "I suggest we camp out here for the night and return home in the morning."

"Good idea," Sarah agreed. "But first we got to give our report to Graham and Beckman."

"Let Morgan do it," Chuck said and fired off a quick text message to his friend. "Now we can set up camp."

They gathered around a small bonfire and cheerfully chatted about anything and everything except for the mission. It had gone surprisingly well anyway. Casey whipped up a delicious dinner, creatively using their supplies, modestly attributing to his years in the Corps where one learned to make the most of the available rations. Wanting to appear as campers, they didn't post an armed guard. A surveillance system connected to an alarm and providing 360 degree coverage was rigged on the Hummer's roof instead.

"Get some sleep everyone," Casey ordered. "We have to be up and on our way early."

Sarah looked around the interior of the Bronco for a sleeping bag. "Chuck, didn't you bring a sleeping bag for me?"

"Sure I did," he replied. "Come here."

Curious, she went to where he'd set up his bedding. "What's that?"

"It's a double sleeping bag," he replied proudly.

"I can't wait to try it," she said enthusiastically, stripped to her boy shorts and tank top and slipped inside, cuddling up with him. "Mmmm, it's perfect," she purred in satisfaction. They kissed and not long afterwards fell asleep, spooned together.

-o-

A sharp kick on his backside woke Chuck up. With a lightning fast move, he pulled his gun from its hiding place under his pillow, but relaxed when he saw who had just kicked him. "Very funny, Bryce," he grumbled.

"Rise and shine, buddy."

"I'll be up in a sec." He turned to Sarah, who was still in dreamland, secure in the knowledge that he was there for her no matter what. He kissed her neck and moved his lips close to her ear. "Sarah, wake up."

"Ummm, good morning." She might not be a morning person, but when on missions she never failed to come awake instantly, a byproduct of training and experience. She pulled her cargo pants, socks and boots on and then she and Jill disappeared together behind the cover of some rocks for their morning routines.

The first thing they did after packing up was to call their bosses.

"We got the report on your successful excursion," Graham said. "The team from Arizona, however, is still blundering around the desert. Is there anything you can do about it, Chuck?"

Chuck thought about it for a moment before replying. "I can use a remote access protocol and run the same program. Just email me the radar data for the third module. Do you want us to contact the other team directly?"

"Just send your findings to us and I'll forward it to Dr. Zarnow, who's leading the other team," Beckman said.

Chuck flashed.

"Chuck?" Graham asked, recognizing the flash for what it was.

"Sir, ma'am, Zarnow is a traitor. He's been selling US science and technology to foreign buyers, predominantly to North Korea, for years. He used his ill gotten gains to pay off gambling debts and now he's just fattening his bank account in the Caymans."

"Are you absolutely certain, Agent Bartowski?"

"Yes ma'am. It's all in the Intersect."

"This is a serious security breach. I'll instruct the team to detain him and the deputy lead to take over the operation."

"Would you like me to screen them too?"

"You should, but it is not possible. Because of a personnel shortage in our Phoenix office, Dr. Zarnow was authorized to contract a private security company. In his report he said that he handpicked the men himself. But he didn't include their names."

"Then they may all be dirty."

"It's possible. Intercept the team and take over the operation. If they manage to smuggle the encryption module to a foreign buyer it'll be disastrous."

"Yes ma'am." The connection was terminated.

"You heard her," Casey said. "Bartowski, Larkin, help me refuel the vehicles. Ladies, look around and see if we forgot anything, then check the weapons."

-o-

"There they are." The two vehicles had just crested a ridge and paused so that Casey could scan the area with his field glasses.

"Do they have it?"

Casey focused on the larger of the two vehicles, a three-axle Land Rover Defender conversion, ignoring the smaller Land Cruiser for the moment. A couple of men were hefting a heavy crate on the cargo bed, while Zarnow was congratulating them. "Damn! They must have just found it!"

"Let's get them," Sarah said.

They drove off at high speed, Casey mounting a Mk 48 machine gun on the Hummer's pintle. Not wanting to miss the gun play, he'd turned over driving to Bryce. The others also dug automatic rifles and carbines from their carrying cases. Bryce and Chuck drove in wide arcs, forming a pincer to trap the hostile team in the middle. Zarnow and his people saw them and realized they were in trouble. A high speed pursuit over the desert floor ensued.

The Hummer easily caught up to the Land Rover. Two of the mercenaries inside rose to fire at their pursuers. Big mistake. Casey cut them both down with a short burst, then directing his fire to the rear axles, shooting out both tires on the left side. The Land Rover lurched and overturned, throwing its occupants out like rag dolls.

Meanwhile, Chuck and Sarah were after the second vehicle. The rough terrain made accurate firing on the move almost impossible, but still Sarah managed to take out one of the hostiles with a lucky shot. As the Bronco and the Toyota bounced on the desert throwing up great plumes of dust, Chuck managed to maneuver close enough so that even a blind man couldn't miss. Sarah was certainly not blind and sprayed a hail of bullets into the mercs from her carbine, killing the three men in the back seat. Unfortunately, a bad round caused her HK416 to jam just as she was about to take out the driver.

She was frantically trying to clear it when the vehicles bumped together. As she was standing up on her seat, she lost her balance and fell off the Bronco. Her carbine clattered on the ground, while she just managed to grab hold of the roof rails. Her booted feet scrambled for purchase on the rear bumper and the trailer hitch. Having managed to steady herself, she mounted the spare tire and drew her Smith & Wesson. The driver saw her in the rear view mirror and started fishtailing to get her off.

Chuck wanted to get her out of there and safely back in the Ford, but he couldn't see any way to do it, not with his opponent's unpredictable driving. As the Toyota flew off a bump, Sarah suddenly found herself flat on the roof. Then it was driving on a straight line. She instantly knew why. Jagged holes started appearing on the roof. The driver was shooting, hoping to hit her. She quickly crawled back to her previous position, crouched a bit and fired through the rear window, clipping the driver on the shoulder. The pain forced him to swerve wildly.

This time the centrifugal force was too much for any human. Sarah felt a sudden stab of burning pain on her left wrist as it was being savagely twisted. Then she was aware of weightlessly sailing through the air before her world turned black.

To be continued


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: **I won't apologize for the cliffhanger in the previous chapter, but I'll openly admit my evilness. Have fun with this chapter!

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><p><strong>Chapter 18<strong>

"Chuuuuck… answer the damn door," Sarah whimpered. "Chuck?" Slowly, she realized that the ringing was not a doorbell, but it was in her own head. The same head that seemed to be about to explode from a massive headache. It hadn't been this bad since she'd last gotten hopelessly drunk back when she and her roommate at the Farm had gone out to celebrate their graduation and induction into the CIA as full fledged agents. Despite the pain she giggled, remembering a guy in a bar who propositioned them, mistaking the two tall, voluptuous blue eyed blondes for sisters. And they had kicked his lecherous ass big time.

She focused on herself. In addition to the headache, she was sore all over and her left shoulder was a bit stiff. As she tried to open her eyes, it was as if millions of fire ants were biting them. It was just too bright. Closing them again, she tried to concentrate on breathing and explore the room with her other senses. The mattress was unfamiliar, there was something on one of her arms and the smell… She was in a hospital. And she knew why. What she didn't know was her condition. It didn't feel too serious, and she could feel and move all her limbs, so she'd probably gotten off lightly.

Once again, she tried to open her eyes. Eventually she succeeded and as they adapted to the light she took in her surroundings. She was in Westside Memorial hospital, where Ellie and Devon worked. A gentle pressure on her right hand made her look at it. It was covered by another hand, one she knew well: Chuck's. He was sleeping in a guest chair, his head pillowed on her mattress. She smiled and took his hand in hers, squeezing it lovingly. The movement woke him up.

"Hey."

"Hi Chuck," she smiled brightly.

"How are you feeling?"

"Like I fell off a speeding vehicle. Did we get them?"

"We got them, all of them, plus the module. Graham was not too pleased at having you put on sick leave."

"Nonsense. Once my headache goes away, I'll be good as new. By the way, how am I still in one piece?"

"You have a cactus to thank for that. You flew right into it, actually. It absorbed most of your momentum, but was destroyed in the process. In fact it looked like a hungry burro had been at it. And your vest protected you from its spines. Ellie only had to pluck some out of your arm."

"Go on."

"Your left shoulder was dislocated, but it's back in place now."

"It still feels a little stiff."

"And you have a concussion."

"That's it?"

"Just about, yes," he replied, thinking to see if he'd left anything out. "Oh, everyone brought flowers to liven this place up a little."

Sarah looked at the flowers arranged by the windows and spotted a pot of gardenias. "You brought the gardenias."

"I know they're your favorite flowers."

"Come here."

He rose from the chair and approached the bed. Not wanting to give him a chance to get away, she awkwardly hooked her left hand on his belt, pulling him down for a kiss. Too late he realized that her other hand was about to slip into the waistband of his jeans.

"Sarah, what are you doing?"

She smiled sweetly. "I'm trying to feel better, of course."

"CHUCK!"

He whirled around. "Ellie?"

"What the hell were you doing? She has to rest!"

"Ellie, it's not his fault," Sarah said. "But I'm really…" She bit her tongue before she could say that she was horny. "I want him."

"Sarah, you need to relax and rest. How's your head?"

"It still hurts a little."

Ellie checked the IV drip leading to Sarah's left arm. "At least you didn't yank it out. Chuck, go get her something to eat."

"Bring me a coffee, too!" Sarah called.

"No coffee for you," Ellie said. "Stay off the caffeine."

"Then he can get me a decaf," Sarah insisted stubbornly.

"You heard her," Ellie told her brother, knowing there was no way to talk the blonde spy out of having her coffee.

With Chuck away Ellie finally had a chance to give Sarah a proper examination. When she was done, she voiced her satisfaction with her impatient patient's progress. And just when she thought they had a chance for a heart to heart talk before Chuck came up with the coffee and the food, Katie Walker stormed in.

"Sarah Lisa Walker! You are in big trouble, young lady!"

"Mom, what are you doing here?"

"Your sister called."

"Oh! That bitch! How did she find out anyway? Did Chuck have anything to do with it?"

"Um…" Ellie didn't know how to answer Sarah's question.

"Don't blame Carina!" Katie snapped. "What happened?"

"It was a stupid accident," Sarah half-lied.

"Meaning?"

"I fell off a speeding car and into the arms of a saguaro cactus."

"Saguaro cactus?" Katie echoed. "Where did you find it?"

"Just north of the border."

"She went off-roading with Chuck," Ellie said.

"My girl doesn't just up and go on recreational trips in the middle of the work week," Katie said. "You were working, don't bother denying it. Before you ask, Ellie, I know what my baby girl really does for a living."

"I recently learned about my brother's real job, so I can sympathize, Mrs. Walker."

"Can you help me convince my daughter to give up her job? It's the second time I almost lost her – that I know of."

"I'd be lying if I told you I'm OK with Chuck's job, but they are both adults, Mrs. Walker."

Right then Chuck walked in. "I got you decaf and some croissants, Sarah."

"Yummy. Hand them over. By the way, I'd like you to meet my Mom."

"Mrs. Walker," Chuck said respectfully.

"So you are the Chuck my daughter speaks so highly of." She surprised everyone by pulling him into a hug. "Thank you for bringing her home in the first place."

"I was just doing my job, Mrs. Walker."

"She also told me everything you've done for her. Cut the Mrs. Walker stuff and call me Katie. Same goes to you, Ellie."

Sarah interrupted them. "Can someone please tell me when I can go home? I hate hospitals."

"Given your head injury, I'd like to keep you here for another twenty-four hours. If everything goes well, and I have every reason to expect that, you'll be released."

"Can't I go home today?"

"As a doctor, I have to insist on you staying for observation."

"I understand, but except for a headache I'm fine, really. Besides, Chuck told me I'm on sick leave, so I doubt I'll be going back to work. He won't let me."

"Yes, I talked to your boss myself," Ellie said. "He gave you a week off, based on my recommendation. Now rest. If you are so anxious to get out of here, we'll see how you're doing again in a few hours. If the results are satisfactory, I'll send you home."

"Thanks Ellie. Chuck, how did Carina find out about this anyway?"

"I called her to bring you some clothes from our place. The others were wrapping up the operation, so she had to do it. She was a little worried about you, but Devon told her you'll be fine."

Sarah was about to say something when there was a knock on the door. "Come in," she called. The door of the private room opened and Casey walked inside, followed by Bryce, Jill and Morgan.

"Hey Walker."

"Hi guys."

"How are you doing?"

"I'll live," she smiled.

"So your doctors tell me. I brought you these." He gave her a box of what smelled like cookies. "Kathleen made them."

"Thank you Casey." She surprised him by hugging him as best as she could with the IV line on one arm. After the initial surprise passed he hugged her back lightly.

"You are welcome."

Then the other three trooped up to her to give their get well presents and hugs to their team mate. Ellie decided to allow them some time to talk and then she'd hustle everyone else out and let her patient rest. But as she opened the door, someone else entered.

"Daddy!" Sarah said.

"Hello Angel." He turned to Ellie. "Is it okay if I stay with my daughter for a minute?"

"Yes, of course Mr. Walker."

Meanwhile, Chuck had flashed, although he concealed it from everyone else. "Sarah, I flashed on your Dad," he whispered.

"What did you see?"

"That he has a record."

"True, and I'm also an excellent dancer, Charlie," Jack quipped. He overheard them while Ellie was ushering the other visitors out.

"Dad has been legit for years."

"I still make use of my talents providing consulting services on how to avoid being conned. I don't know if my baby girl told you, but I'm to blame for her current career."

"Dad, it's not…"

"Yes it is, sweetheart. But now I'd like to get to know Chuck here better. She's told me a lot about you, son, and I can see why she loves you so much."

Chuck found it a little embarrassing, discussing relationship stuff with his girlfriend's dad. Still, Jack Walker was clearly drawn to him and he felt that, past aside, Sarah's father and Stephen Bartowski had a lot in common. They spent some time talking, just the three of them, until Ellie returned and kicked the two men out, claiming that Sarah really needed to rest.

-o-

"Home sweet home," Sarah said as she set foot into the courtyard. She had pestered Ellie to discharge her from the hospital. She could rest just as well in her own bed, was her closing argument.

Out of concern for his girlfriend, Chuck had strongly supported his sister during the preceding argument, but Sarah was stubborn as a mule. In the end the Bartowski siblings gave up and Chuck drove Sarah back to Echo Park.

"You should have listened to Ellie and stayed in the hospital a little longer."

"Pfft…" Sarah snorted. "It's better here. I couldn't have my way with you there, but here is another matter."

"About that… Ellie recommended that you abstain from any form of strenuous activity."

"No big deal. I'll let you do all the work."

"You're missing the point here."

"But I want you in the worst way," she pouted.

"So do I, especially since I came this close to losing you, but we'll have to wait. You don't want to end up with another headache, do you?"

"Okay, you win," she said gruffly.

He gave her his charm smile, which both made her happy and infuriated her. But for the stupid knock her skull had taken she'd be having lots and lots of fun with him. The real nightmare, however, was just beginning. After making sure she was comfortable, he started fussing over her. She knew he was concerned, but she needed some breathing space, especially since all he managed to do was make her even hornier.

"Chuck! Stop it! I'm not made of glass, you know," she yelled at one point. "You want to help, but you're only making it worse. Just pop one of your movies in the player, bring some popcorn and soda, sit your ass down and cuddle with me."

He had no choice but to obey. After the movie ended, they worked on their mission report for a while. Casey had already covered the basics, so they just added some details before submitting it.

-o-

"He's driving me up the wall, Ellie. I don't know how much longer I can take it without snapping at him," Sarah complained and took a sip of her fruit cocktail. The two women were in Ellie's living room, enjoying their fruity drinks and some snacks. They usually drank wine during their girl time, but in deference to Sarah's head injury alcohol consumption was ruled out.

"He was a bit freaked out when you got hurt."

"But it was nothing serious. I'm tired of telling him that I'm not an invalid."

"It's funny, you know. My brother is a hard core agent, yet he's kept a lot of his traits. Freaking out occasionally is one of them."

"And I love him even more for that. I mean, he makes me feel…"

"Normal?"

"Exactly. When I'm with him I feel like any other normal woman in a solid relationship."

"Where is he now?"

Sarah smiled, particularly proud of her manipulation of Chuck, that resulted in her gaining some breathing space. "He's with Morgan and Bryce, playing video games next door. Jill is babysitting them."

"I went over Dad's files on the Intersect and Chuck's test results," Ellie said, changing the subject. My little brother does have an amazing brain."

"Sure he does. There is an entire government database stuck in it. You know, he even flashed on my Dad back in the hospital."

"Your Dad is in the Intersect?"

"So am I, by the way."

"You are an agent. It's understandable. But why is your father in it too?"

"It's an old story. I told Chuck about it, because I don't want to keep secrets from him. I might as well tell you."

"Sarah, it's personal. You don't have to tell me."

"I know, but it's better to lay all my cards on the table. Dad used to be a conman and a damn good one at that. One day, on my senior year in high school, Director Graham put him in protective custody, because he'd conned some very dangerous people. He gave the CIA sufficient information to put them all behind bars. The same day, Graham made me a job offer. I accepted and after finishing Harvard I went to the Farm, the CIA's spy school."

"Our life stories sound like some cheesy novel," Ellie laughed. "Mom and Dad, well, you know about them now. They tried their best with us, but sometimes the demands of their jobs wouldn't allow them to be around Chuck and me as much as they wanted. Fortunately, I was old enough to help with everything around the house, Chuck included."

"He's really lucky to have you."

"And now he has you, too. I'm only going to ask one thing of you, Sarah. Don't hurt him."

"I can't hurt him without hurting myself just as much, Ellie. Face it, he and I are just like you and Devon."

"Let's drink to that." Ellie raised her glass.

"Cheers!"

"To our loving boyfriends."

"And to us."

"Naturally."

They were still laughing and exchanging funny stories when Jill joined them. "Sarah, your place is a madhouse. I couldn't take it any more in there. I thought I'd gotten used to their gaming habits after all those years, but it can still get a little too much for me."

"I feel you, Jill. It's my brother and his gang we're talking about here. Would you like some fruit cocktail?"

"Yes, thank you. I don't suppose you have something stronger, do you?"

"We were staying clear of the booze, but you look like you need it, so we can make an exception," Sarah said.

Ellie nodded. "I can add some rum to your drink."

"I appreciate it," Jill said gratefully. The girls had just clinked glasses when they heard loud cheers emanating from Chuck's living room.

"Boys will be boys," commented Sarah. "I can deal with each of them individually, even with two of them together, but all three in a video game frenzy?" She shuddered. "No thank you."

"Same here," Ellie agreed.

"We should have a day to ourselves. Now that Sarah is on sick leave and we don't have missions, we could go out and have fun. Maybe we could take little Alex and Vivian along. The more the merrier," Jill suggested.

"Sounds like an idea."

"Let's do it. I'll see if I can get my sister to tag along."

"Rodeo Drive, here we come."

"Hell yeah."

"We can also fit a visit to a spa into our schedule. Think about it; champagne brunch, shopping, beauty care… we're gonna have a blast."

The gaming night over, Chuck and Bryce came to collect their girlfriends. Morgan was already making himself comfortable in Chuck's guest bedroom. On the way next door, Chuck and Bryce saw Casey and Kathleen, who were returning home after a nice evening out. Pleasantries were exchanged and then the two young men entered the apartment where the girls were gathered.

-o-

In the morning Chuck woke up with Sarah's minimally clothed body in his arms. He looked lovingly down at her, chuckling as she snored lightly, almost inaudibly. The clock on the nightstand told him that it was almost time to go to work. He had to wake her up first. So, he peppered her forehead, temples, cheeks, nose, lips, jaw and neck with feather light kisses. She opened her eyes and immediately pulled him down for a passionate kiss.

"Ahem."

Both their heads snapped towards the TV. Graham and Beckman had decided for some as yet unknown reason to contact them. Sarah yelped and hid under the covers, embarrassed.

"Do you really have to do that, Boss?" Chuck complained.

"Sorry, Chuck, but we need your services as the Intersect. What was that, by the way?"

"It sure didn't look like cover maintenance to me," Beckman said. The stern redheaded woman joking was a rare occurrence indeed.

Sarah's eyes appeared from under the covers. "Sir, ma'am… Chuck and I are dating… exclusively."

"I feel I must caution you not to allow your private lives to interfere with your professional performance. But off the record, congratulations."

"Thank you General."

"Chuck, open your email. We need to know what the Intersect has on the file we sent you immediately."

"Yes Boss."

While Chuck was working on his laptop, Sarah grabbed a dressing gown from a chair and wiggled into it before getting up. "I'll go make some coffee." She found Morgan in the kitchen, cooking breakfast.

"Hi Sarah."

"Hi. I see you saved me the trouble."

"Glad to help."

"Graham and Beckman are talking to Chuck right now."

"They called?"

"More like barged into our room."

"Huh?"

"They contacted us through the TV."

"Awkward," Morgan muttered.

"You don't say. Two minutes later they'd have caught us in the act."

"Bummer."

"Right now I need coffee. Ellie cleared me for it."

"OK. Here you go Sarah, freshly brewed coffee."

"Thanks."

Chuck walked in, stretching and scratching the back of his head. "Done. It was for another team, so I made it short and sweet. Nice of you to make breakfast, little buddy."

"You are welcome. So, what do we have to do today?"

"Nothing. We'll go to the office and keep up the routine."

"I can come too. Sick leave or not, I don't want to be in here all day alone."

"I'm sure we can find something for you to keep busy at the office."

Thus began another day.


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N:** Again, sorry for the delay in updating, but it couldn't be helped. In any case, I promise to update at least once a week, even when I'm pressed for time. I feel I owe you guys as much.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 19<strong>

Chuck walked into Sarah's office rubbing his tired eyes. They were the only two in the office, the rest having left for home an hour earlier. He had stayed to work on a backlog of dailies and she didn't want to leave him alone.

She looked up. "Are you done?"

"Yes," he replied tiredly. "Let's go home."

"Ellie called while you were in there."

"Why didn't my phone ring?"

"I had all calls diverted to my office. You needed peace to work."

"Thanks. What did she say?"

"She's invited us to dinner at her place tonight."

"Then we'd better get some wine on the way home."

"I'm way ahead of you there," she said with a smug smile. "I sneaked out and got a nice cabernet."

"What would I do without you, Sarah?"

"Same as I'd do without you, Chuck. We'd just be spies."

"Come on. I'm starving."

-o-

Ellie had a surprise for them. There was a full blown dinner party going on at her place. Everyone was there, parents included. Chuck and Sarah were amazed to see their parents behaving like old friends together with the Caseys. Carina had corralled Alex Casey and Vivian MacArthur, talking girl stuff with them.

"There you are," Katie said. "What took you so long?"

"Mom, we were at work," her daughter replied.

"You kids are working too hard sometimes."

"We still have time for ourselves," interjected Chuck.

"Excuse me, but I need to steal Chuck and Sarah for a moment," Stephen said, taking both younger people by the arms and leading them to a quiet corner.

"Give us the good news, Dad," Chuck said eagerly, ever the optimist.

"I got good news for you, all right. I'm shipping off the new Intersect hardware to DC tomorrow."

"Then Chuck won't have to do what he does much longer."

"It kind of depends on when they'll have the data ready for upload," Chuck reminded her. "We'll have to talk to the Boss."

"I agree. We could subtly prod them to make their team work faster."

"Trust me, they're like slave drivers in this case. They are anxious to have a solid working computer as soon as possible. They were always a bit uncomfortable to have to rely on me."

"Frankly, I'm surprised they didn't ban you from field operations or stick you in a secure facility."

"This is better. Who would suspect a 9-5 guy of being an intelligence agent and asset?"

"Still, I'll be tremendously relieved when it's all over."

"You're not the only one, Sarah."

"Excuse me," Devon called. "May I have your attention, please?"

Everyone gathered around and Devon exchanged a knowing look with his girlfriend's family. He had talked to them about it and they were behind him all the way.

"What is this about?" Ellie asked, curious.

"I had a long talk with some people I hold in high esteem, El." He knelt before her and produced a small red box. Ellie gasped. "Ellie, will you marry me? You mean the world to me and I think it's time to take it to the next level."

"I… Devon… YES!"

He slipped the ring on her finger and kissed her. Everyone applauded and could not help noticing the happy tears in Mary Bartowski's eyes. A very happy Ellie showed off the ring to her friends and relatives.

"At least she can lift her hand even with a huge rock on her finger," Chuck whispered to Devon.

"I never doubted it, bro. You're next."

"Huh?"

"Don't play dumb with me, Chuckster. I know how much you love Sarah. When the time is right, you'll know it. And she'll know it, too."

Chuck nodded. He loved Sarah with all his heart and he knew that the blonde Valkyrie loved him just as much. He stole another look at her as she hugged his sister and then admired the diamond engagement ring once again. Ellie had told him once how happy Sarah was to be able to feel like a normal person around him and his family and now he was determined to make her an integral part of said family.

-o-

There were no missions for a week or so. While it was widely believed by the public that an agent's life was all glamorous and action packed, in reality they had to contend with periods of inactivity, which could turn into downright boredom, if the agent had become an adrenaline junkie. Still, he did have the dailies to keep busy and also he and Sarah visited the gym even more often. In addition, the cover business was turning a nice profit for them, lessening their reliance on the operational budget. Even the action oriented Casey was content to work nine to five and then go home to his family. Of course, it couldn't last.

It all began with what was intended to be a customary briefing. But the Intersect had other ideas. Chuck flashed on a photograph General Beckman was using to fan herself (of all things), as the air conditioning in her office was down. To cut a long story short, the team was summarily given a new and very important mission.

-o-

"We got the logistics pretty much covered," Chuck announced. "And now, to the all important question of the cover."

Jill and Sarah spoke together. "Herbal medicine research," Jill suggested. "Archaeological expedition," Sarah said.

"The former is likely to attract too much attention," Casey hedged. "We need to keep a low profile."

"Archaeology it is then. The problem is, we don't know squat on the subject. Bryce did a minor in Art History, but that's just about it."

"Then we need to be imaginative. I suggest you assume your cover as a millionaire playboy, Bartowski."

"Millionaire yes, playboy no," Sarah objected.

"Whatever," Casey shrugged disinterestedly. "Your Charles Carmichael persona will lead an expedition into the Amazon region to find some fabled treasure. Check the web. There must be tons of such stories and narratives of expeditions that tried to see if there was any truth in them."

"He's on to something here," Morgan said.

"OK. So, Charles Carmichael, his fiancée Samantha Burton, his right hand Martin Grissom, his bosom buddy Tom Anderson and his girlfriend Jillian Sands, plus the chief of security for Carmichael Enterprises will play the merry adventurers. Casey, what cover name are you going to use?"

"The usual; Alexander Coburn," Casey replied.

Chuck flashed. "Man, Coburn is almost as badass as you are."

"We need to have some sort of contact with the Brazilian authorities."

"I think we'll be able to get the permits for our cover expedition easily enough," Sarah said. "I know someone who works at the US Embassy. She'll help."

"Anyone I know?" Chuck asked.

"I don't think you've met her, or heard about it."

"Care to try?"

She saw right through his ploy. "You want to cheat using the Intersect."

"Damn, you're good."

"I'll tell you about her later."

-o-

"Okay Walker, focus. You are going to Brazil with your boyfriend. Once the mission is over, maybe we'll have time to check out Rio," Sarah muttered to herself as she inspected every bikini she owned. Chuck had already seen the black one, but she had several more in reserve, namely a white, a pink, a leopard print and a teal green, not to mention her absolutely devastating and ultra secret weapon: her string bikini. She heard him in the hallway and quickly hid most of the incriminating items in her travel bag.

"Hi-oh!"

"I need your opinion, Chuck. Should I wear this one, or the leopard print?" She ran a hand up and down her body, showing off the teal green number she'd been trying on.

"Both," he replied.

"Excellent." Then she tackled him down on the bed. "We still have time to pack," she whispered lustily.

"Damn, Sarah, you're acting almost like you're having a bad case of… What do they call the female equivalent of blue balls anyway?"

"Blue ovaries?" Sarah guessed. "Nah, it doesn't matter. What matters is that I have you and you can't get away."

"I don't want to get away."

"Good, because you, Mr. Bartowski, are going to get lucky."

"I'm getting lucky every day. And I'm really lucky to have you in my life."

"Shut up and kiss me."

-o-

They took the Falcon to Brazil. This time, Sarah joined in the poker game, more out of curiosity, but she found it the perfect way to let out some steam before the mission began. Several hours later, the jet touched down at Brigadeiro Eduardo Gomes-Manaus International Airport in Manaus. The hassle at Customs and Immigration was minimal, the wheels having been greased by Sarah's contact, who was there to meet them. The blonde woman gave Sarah a big hug.

"Welcome to Brazil."

"Thank you Zondra." Sarah then proceeded to introduce the rest to her old friend. Chuck had already flashed on Zondra and was amazed by what the Intersect revealed.

"So, who are you guys after?" Zondra asked conversationally.

"Gaez," Sarah replied tersely.

"Augusto Gaez?"

"The same. Don't worry. We'll get him this time. We got solid intel and he's not expecting us."

"Do it for Amy."

"For all of us," Sarah corrected. "It's time we finish this."

Chuck knew Amy had been part of a team called the CAT Squad, along with Sarah, Zondra and Carina. The Intersect also told him about their operation to get Gaez. They had tried everything, including having Amy pose as a double agent in order to get close to the mark. He had somehow caught on and the girls had saved Amy in the nick of time, but she'd already been tortured. After recovering from her injuries, she quit the CIA and was now working for a fashion magazine as a columnist.

-o-

Heat was something they could all deal with. But combined with the humidity of the Amazon rainforest, it was simply unbearable. All of them wished they were back in the air conditioned comfort of the suites in Manaus' best hotel instead of chugging upriver in a largish boat for two days in a row.

Sarah was absentmindedly playing with her fake wedding ring, the same one she'd been wearing for the previous mission. She was especially glad that the others had agreed not to use the Burton alias. Gaez probably knew about an agent called Sam Burton. Sarah Carmichael, on the other hand, was unknown to him. Chuck was playing his role to the hilt, enthusiastically snapping pictures of the beautifully dangerous nature around them.

"Sarah, look, an anaconda!"

She turned to look and her hand automatically closed around the handle of a machete. "If that thing comes any closer, it'll meet Madame LaFarge."

"Who?"

"My machete."

"I prefer this," Casey interjected, hefting his HK 417.

"Man, I was almost picturing you packing an M14."

"The M14 is a great weapon, Bartowski, but too long and cumbersome for the jungle. Same goes for the FAL and the G3. This one offers the same level of firepower in a more compact package."

"Can't you guys just pretend to relax and enjoy the scenery?" Bryce asked from his position near the bow. "We still have a long way to go."

The encrypted communications module came to life and Morgan's voice crackled through the speakers. "I got good news."

"We sure could use them," Sarah encouraged him.

"I put in a request for additional communications monitoring in the area. The NSA came through. They know about your expedition, but Gaez bought the story and told his goons to leave you alone. He doesn't want to call attention to his operation, which would happen if a bunch of tourists suddenly vanished into thin air."

"Okay, what else?"

"That's the bad news. He's not in the area, but he'll be back by next week. Security may be lax without him around. You should be able to sneak close unobserved."

"Although the Intersect revealed the location of his facility, we still have no idea what it is all about," Jill reminded them. "We have to ascertain that first."

"Gaez should be the primary objective," Sarah noted. "Without him, his whole organization will collapse. In short, we're barking up the wrong tree here."

"No, Sarah. First we see what he's got going on up here and then we get him. Call it a win-win scenario."

"He's right," Casey agreed. "Grimes, where is Gaez now?"

"Right now he's in Rio, for a series of meetings regarding his legitimate enterprises."

"You're the lucky one, Morgan," Bryce said, swatting an insect from his arm. "You're in a place with room service, air conditioning and hot Brazilian babes."

"Right on the first two, wrong on the last. I only have eyes for one girl, Bryce."

"It's getting dark. We should make camp for the night," observed Chuck. "Buddy, we'll call you tomorrow for a progress report."

"And I'll call you if I have anything useful to tell you. Cobra out."

"Cobra?" Casey queried.

"Morgan's online gaming handle," replied Chuck. "He adopted it as a call sign, too."

"What's your online gaming handle?" Sarah purred sexily in Chuck's ear, pressing her body to his.

"Why, Nerd_Pro of course."

"I should have known. You take pride in your professional nerd status."

"And rightfully so."

"That too."

Ellie had managed to turn Sarah into a serviceable cook in a remarkably short time, so she and Jill made the best of the limited variety of their supplies to make a surprisingly good tasting dinner, which they all enjoyed around a campfire. The subject of their conversation was, naturally, the mission. It would take them approximately eight hours of traveling to get to their destination.

Casey worked out a guard rotation and after securing the camp those not on duty turned in for the night. Sarah placed her sleeping bag right next to Chuck's and fell asleep almost immediately. She had the whole night to rest, as the men had taken up guard duty exclusively.

-o-

The boat was now dragged up the river bank and well camouflaged. According to the itinerary they gave to local officials, they were supposed to keep heading upriver before turning into the Jurua River, following the path of a lesser known Bandeirante, who in his recently discovered memoirs claimed to have found a bonanza in gold, but was unable to retrieve any before being forced to return to civilization due to his failing health. It was probably one of the reasons why Gaez did not bother with them. His facility was in the exact opposite direction, up the Japura River, another tributary of the Amazon.

The team proceeded in single file, with Bryce scouting ahead and Chuck taking up the last position, occasionally stopping to check the surrounding area for signs of human activity, although they were still some distance away from their target. They reached it just before nightfall, so they retraced their steps to put some extra distance between the facility and themselves, before hunkering down for the night. This time they had two guards posted at all times, as they could not be too careful this close to the target. In the predawn darkness they got on the move again, carefully retracing their steps to where they'd been before retiring for the night. As it got light, they got their first good glimpse of the facility. It was nothing more than a collection of corrugated tin shacks, some largish but most quite small, looking like an abandoned prospectors' camp.

"Pretty clever disguise," Casey commented. "No wire fence or guard towers to give the game away."

"I don't even see remote sensing equipment," Bryce added. "They must think perimeter patrols and reports from their agents in the city are enough."

"There's one patrolling guard." Sarah pointed him out to the men.

"I see movement by the biggest building," Jill said. "They seem to be loading drums of something into a… What's that anyway?"

Casey focused his field glasses on the camouflage-painted, squat, strange looking vehicle. "Son of a bitch," he exclaimed. "It's a goddamned tracked dumper."

"Huh?"

"A dump truck with a tracked suspension, ideal for rugged or soft terrain. Think of it as an excavator, but with a box bed instead of a digger. And this one looks top of the line."

Chuck scanned the encampment with his own field glasses. "I see their motor pool. They have several more."

"I wonder what they're doing with them."

"Jill, see if you can make out the markings on the drums."

"I'll try." She looked harder. "It's ether, among other things!"

"So, he's supplying Colombian drug lords with material for making cocaine. Sounds like a job for law enforcement. Tell Grimes to call it in and have the DEA go through channels. This is a good chance to nab Gaez. Remember, they got Al Capone for tax evasion, not any of his other criminal activities."

"Holy fuck!" Chuck almost yelled.

"What is it?"

"Ten o'clock," he replied tersely. A crew was unloading several rectangular olive green crates from a tracked vehicle and carrying them inside a building. "These are missiles. I saw several crates of Javelins and at least one of Stingers."

"Where the hell did Gaez get his hands on those?"

"I think I know! Remember the container ship that sank in mid-Atlantic a couple of months ago?"

"Sure. Damn! You mean the one carrying weapons purchased by an allied country?"

"The same. I bet Gaez arranged the sinking to pilfer the cargo and sell it on the black market."

"These are top grade weapons, Bartowski. If terrorist organizations like the FARC or criminals like Mexican drug gangs get their hands on those, the shit is really going to hit the turbofan."

"We need to report this."

"Yes we do. But the Bosses will want more."

"Yeah, I know. Personally, I think they may have transported the stuff from Guyana, or upriver from Belém to Manaus and then follow the Negros River upstream to a convenient point, where the cargo is loaded on those tracked transporters and taken here for storage and distribution, thus avoiding Brazilian military patrols, perhaps using a legitimate operation as a cover."

"Figures, especially since this area is indeed covered by the Amazon Protection System. Gaez probably has a cover facility established nearby. And in any case, I think the Brazilians are more interested in flight traffic in this area, so ground surveillance may be limited."

"You heard that, Walker?"

"I did."

"Encode and report."

"I'm on it." Sarah opened the cases containing the satellite communications gear and set it up. Soon, she had a report typed and forwarded directly to Langley, marked Director's eyes only.

"Now, all we have to do is wait for orders," Casey said. Everyone agreed, even though they had a good idea what those orders would be. In any case, they would carry them out. Gaez's business was sure to suffer a major setback. Then, they would focus on him. One could almost feel sorry for the guy.

To be continued


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N:** The first chapter after season 5 began! To tell you the truth, I wasn't overly excited by the story arc of the new season, but enough of this. At least we have the show back.

For the moment, enjoy the new chapter!

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 20<strong>

"Well?" Casey asked when Chuck and Bryce returned from a quick recon.

"It doesn't look too good, man," Bryce replied. "We lost count of how many men there are here – all armed to the teeth. We can't go in easily and besides, we don't have enough explosives with us to do anything more than blow up a shack or two. I think an airstrike is in order."

"It'll take time to contact the Brazilian air force and arrange something, provided it doesn't get leaked. Remember, those guys have Stingers and probably know how to use them. Also, an approach by an armed force can be detected."

"There is something we can do," Chuck said, the gloomy collective mood turning guardedly optimistic. "I noticed a POL dump right next to the weapons storage building."

Casey snorted. "Real stupid of them, storing fuel and lubricants next to weapons and ammunition."

"Their stupidity can work in our favor. Once charge in the fuel dump and another in the shack where they store the chemicals will be enough. With any luck, the weapons will be destroyed by the fuel fire," Sarah agreed.

"The point is getting there, setting the charges and getting out undetected. Bryce and I merely surveyed the camp from outside the perimeter."

"We can move when it's dark," Sarah said.

"It's one possibility. But why risk everything when we can just lase the target from here and let the Brazilians do the rest? We have a laser designator and by now Graham should have contacted the proper authorities."

"Somehow, I don't think he'd like to let the locals know that a foreign spy team is loose in their country. He'll probably send word via Interpol."

"Casey's right. But we should do something."

Jill crawled next to them. "I have news from Graham. He said that it'll take time to notify the Brazilian authorities while keeping our involvement under wraps."

"And what are our orders?"

"We are to observe and note everything going on here. Act only if we run out of options."

"Casey, keep an eye on them. I took some pictures and it's time to take a look at them."

"Roger that."

Casey adjusted the tripod supporting the optronics package while the others gathered around an Orion laptop. Chuck connected the camera to it and they carefully studied image after image. The pictures confirmed Chuck and Bryce's report. Appearances aside, the place was very well guarded and sneaking inside the perimeter would be difficult in the extreme.

"Go back one picture," Sarah said suddenly. Chuck obliged and she pointed to a large tank. "There. This LPG tank is really close to the perimeter."

"I see where you're going to say, Sarah. We can toss one charge without breaking cover and kaboom."

"It'll be a convenient way to mark the location for the Brazilians to take out."

"And in the meantime we will be on the way to Manaus."

"And, after that, to Rio, where Gaez is."

"Sounds like a plan to me," Bryce agreed. "Tell Casey."

In turn, Casey told them to contact Morgan and Zondra and give them a heads-up. From the air conditioned comfort of his hotel suite, Morgan confirmed that the Brazilian government was being notified. Zondra was getting a DEA agent attached to the embassy to give the exact same information to his local counterparts. Upon receiving word from both the DEA and Interpol, the Brazilians acted fast. Barely an hour after the last communication from the team, four Super Tucano attack aircraft were scrambled from Boa Vista air force base and vectored to the Japura River.

"Strike package on the way to your twenty," Morgan told them. "ETA approximately one hour."

"This gives us enough time to blow up the LPG tank and be out of here," remarked Bryce.

"Roger that. Walker, Roberts, head for the boat. Establish perimeter defense and wait for us."

"What are you going to do?"

"Casey will provide sniper cover. Bryce and I will place the explosive. In all likelihood we'll have to get outta here in a hurry. Meet you back at the boat, Sarah."

"Make sure you get there, or else."

"Or else what? You'll haunt my afterlife?"

"You said it, not me, buster. And I'd bring Ellie along, too."

"Then I'd better get back to you in one piece."

"You do that or your pieces will suffer my wrath."

Chuck and Bryce laughed heartily before disappearing in the direction of Gaez's facility. Casey took up position to cover them, while the girls grabbed some of the team's gear and hightailed it to the boat. There, they settled down to wait for the men to arrive.

The lush vegetation gave plenty of cover to the two young agents as they snuck closer and closer to their objective. Yet again, Lady Luck was faithful to Chuck. Casey's voice crackled through their earpieces, informing them that most of the men in the facility were heading for one of the largest buildings. The Marine Major correctly guessed it was chow time. The area around the LNG tank was practically deserted.

"Do the honors, buddy," Bryce said, handing Chuck a small explosive charge attached to a timer. "The timer's already set."

"Hang on." He cocked his arm and, staying in cover, threw the charge. It flew true and landed in the grass under the tank.

"Perfect toss. Let's get outta here."

"Casey, we're set for the surprise party. How does it look from your position?"

"It's clear all the way. Come back here now."

It didn't take the three men long to rejoin the girls by the well camouflaged boat. But instead of hauling it into the river and leaving the area, they decided to wait. It was Morgan's idea, in fact. He suggested that they could sneak back in after the strike – and before the Brazilians sent troops to secure the site – and see if they could find anything interesting. Their current location was at a safe distance from the camp and they could easily sit out the airstrike. It was not long in coming. The explosive charge Chuck planted went off, creating a massive fireball as the pressurized gas in the tank exploded. The four aircraft swooped like vultures down on the target, saturating it with machine gun fire, napalm, iron and cluster bombs and rockets. As each one pulled up from its attack run it popped decoy flares. The precaution was overkill. Gaez's men were so disorganized that they could not think about running to the warehouse to get Stinger missiles for use against the aircraft. It was over almost as soon as it started. The Super Tucanos circled the devastated target some more and then departed for their home base.

The spy team decided to go in for a quick recon, Casey first cautioning them to give any unexploded ordnance a really wide berth. By the time they got there, it was obvious that the survivors would not be any trouble, as they were fleeing the site in the few vehicles still miraculously intact. The team swept the area, fighting down the bile rising in their throats at the sight of charred and dismembered corpses and taking pictures of the destruction wrought by them and the Brazilians. They were especially careful to document the serial numbers of the more or less mangled weapons thrown out of their storage building by the explosions of the Brazilian aircrafts' bombs.

Chuck's gaze was drawn to the crater made by a 500 pound bomb about one hundred and fifty yards from the nearest building. "Hey, guys, look at this," he hollered.

"What's to look? The bomb probably got hung up on its rack before it finally dropped loose," Casey said.

"No, I mean you should really take a look at this."

Curious, the others gathered around. "I'll be damned," Bryce muttered in awe.

Sarah put two and two together real fast. "Our Bandeirante was a very cunning man. He knew that if he documented the correct location of the bonanza he found, someone else might get the drop on him, so he decided to put a red herring in his memoirs. I guess he hoped to return when he got better, or send someone close to him to claim the gold."

"And instead of the Japura River, he wrote that he found it along the nearby Jurua River," Chuck finished the thought. "No wonder the treasure trove was undiscovered until today, even though some people tried to follow the directions he gave."

"So, what do we do about it?"

"Tell the Brazilian authorities, what else?"

"We'll have to invent some excuse to explain our presence here."

"Leave it to me. I already have something in mind, which incidentally is completely believable."

Chuck and the others had already rehearsed the story he concocted for the Brazilian authorities when the first chopper loads of Army and Police personnel arrived on site. The local military commander saw no reason to doubt them, given that their expedition had become pretty much common knowledge in the area, and the locals were betting on how fast they would strike out like all those who'd tried before them. The colonel wondered if anyone had been foolish enough to put his money on the Americans succeeding. If such a thing had happened, someone was in for a big payday, considering the odds.

The Brazilians were impressed enough to offer Carmichael and his team a ride to Manaus. The boat was slung on a helicopter's external cargo hook and transported back to the city. The first thing Chuck and Sarah did upon entering their luxurious suite was to run to the shower and wash the jungle grime off of their bodies before collapsing in bed and sleeping soundly until the following morning. The local paper had already published the news, not only of the illegal facility's destruction, but also of the discovery of the Bandeirante's bonanza. The team had breakfast together and Chuck used the Intersect language skills to translate the article in the local rag from Portuguese to English.

"We are now considered local heroes of sorts," he concluded.

"I could do without the fame, but I wouldn't say no to a fortune," Bryce remarked philosophically.

"We still have Gaez to deal with," Casey reminded them. Sometimes he felt that he had to keep the younger people grounded.

"I know. We are flying to Rio today. The Carmichael Industries jet is ready and we leave in a few hours."

"Why not now?"

"No reason in particular."

*grunt* (yeah, right)

"Since Gaez is tied up in Rio and under constant surveillance, we can afford to spend a few hours wandering about the city and picking up souvenirs. Sarah, are you in for some sightseeing?"

"It'll be a nice warm-up for Rio," she replied.

"Come on, big guy," Morgan said cheerfully. "Kathleen would love something nice from the local market. I fully intend to get a few things for Alex."

"You know, Grimes, you're absolutely right." Casey smiled as he remembered how Kathleen always asked for souvenirs every time he went on deployment as a Marine officer. As an NSA agent he didn't travel abroad much, but he kept up the tradition. Plus he had never gotten her anything from Brazil. Manaus and Rio were prime locations for souvenir hunting. Kathleen didn't call him Sugar Bear for nothing.

It turned out that Chuck's suggestion about a stroll through the city was right on the money. The entire team was in an excellent mood when they went to the airport and flew to Rio de Janeiro. This time, during the flight, Sarah decided to participate in the traditional poker game. It was fun, but every time she thought of Gaez and what he and his people had done to Amy she tensed. In the jungle Gaez was away, but now every moment brought her closer to him. She had promised Zondra to exact some long overdue payback and she was determined to keep the promise. During a break in the game she used a sky phone and called her sister. Just before they hung up, Carina told her to give Gaez hell.

"Payback will be a bitch, you bastard," she muttered. "Count on it."

-o-

"Dude, I swear, Beckman's gonna have kittens when she sees our expense account reports," Bryce joked.

Casey took a sip of his drink and smiled thinly. It was Chuck who answered his friend. "We are Carmichael and company. Staying in luxurious hotels is part of the cover. She'll understand."

"Look sharp, people," Morgan warned them over the comms. "Gaez just entered." He allowed a decent interval and then followed the mark to the hotel bar and sat down next to his friends. Then he followed the script for this phase of the operation. "I was talking to the PR manager back home, Boss. The international news services picked up the story from the locals, but so far there is no mention of Carmichael Industries. The stories are centered on the destruction of the drug lab and the gold strike."

"I still think it was awful," Sarah said, pretending to still be shocked.

"Mrs. Carmichael, it was bad, take it from me," Casey tried to comfort her.

"Excuse me," Gaez interrupted. "Did you say your name is Carmichael?"

"Yes, I'm Sarah Carmichael and this is my husband Charles."

"Augusto Gaez," he introduced himself. "I learned from the news about your expedition in the Amazonas."

"It was a bust all right, at least at first," Chuck spoke for the first time. "We'd struck out and were on our way back to Manaus when all hell broke loose. At first we thought an aircraft had crashed, so we contacted the authorities and went to see if there were any survivors. As it turned out, it happened to be an illegal drug lab bombed by the air force. The army chased us away, when we found what we were originally looking for – up the wrong river."

"Amazing story," Gaez offered. "Are you going to exploit your find?"

"Unfortunately, there is no mining division in Carmichael Industries. Still, the local economy will benefit from the find, which incidentally was the bonanza an old Bandeirante claimed as having found, but he deliberately gave wrong directions to mislead anyone who tried to beat him to it."

"It is all very interesting. Tell me, Mr. Carmichael, what business are you into? I could help, if you're looking for investment opportunities."

"To tell you the truth, Mr. Gaez, I came here as a tourist, but you are right. It'll be a sin not to look for good business. Basically, I invest in high tech firms, buying interests in them ranging from small to controlling. Then, I increase their profits before selling my shares and getting hefty returns on my investments."

"I prefer more traditional industries, like transportation, construction and mining, but I think we could have a mutually profitable business relationship."

"You have suggestions for me."

"Of course."

"What's in it for you?"

"I'll invest in the same business, hoping, like you, to get a good return on my investment."

"You have an excellent strategy there, but you should know that I always do my homework before risking my money."

"It shouldn't be any other way. I can tell you are an astute businessman, Mr. Carmichael."

Chuck stole a look at Sarah. "Everything's great and all, but I see my wife is tired. I suggest we retire to my suite. The two of us can continue our discussion over drinks. I hope the mini bar has cachaça. I have taken a liking to the drink. Unless, you prefer something else, like whiskey or bourbon, I think I may even try my hand at mixing cocktails."

"A cachaça will do just fine, Mr. Carmichael. And I see you are not afraid to try new things."

"If I was afraid, I wouldn't have made a fortune."

"Touché."

"Mr. Coburn," Charles Carmichael told his chief of security. "Senhor Gaez and I will go upstairs to discuss business. You are free to have the evening to yourself."

"Of course, Mr. Carmichael." The moment the 'Carmichaels' and Gaez left, Casey called Bryce and Jill, informing them of the situation.

The end of the mission was rather anticlimactic. The moment Gaez stepped inside Chuck's luxurious suite he was shot with tranq darts by Sarah and Bryce.

"Got you, you son of a bitch," Sarah crowed.

"Now all we have to do is get him out of the hotel and on a plane back to the US."

"I wonder how I look in a hotel maid's uniform," Sarah mused.

"You can find out," Jill deadpanned. "I have one extra and it just so happens to be your size."

"It's almost like we can read each other's mind, professionally."

"Morgan called our local contacts. They'll pick up this piece of shit at the back door and send him to the US – in the diplomatic bag."

A knife appeared in Sarah's hand and she idly toyed with it. "I'm sorely tempted to give him something to remember our meeting."

"Sarah, no, you are better than this," Chuck said, taking her into his arms both to support her and to keep her from doing something stupid.

"I know… But after seeing what he did to Amy…"

"He's not going to Club Med. It should suffice."

Sarah could not resist prodding the unconscious villain with the toe of her shoe. "Enjoy your stay at Club Fed, dipshit." Then she turned to Chuck. "I'll go change now."

-o-

"Excellent work, team," Graham said. "You certainly completed the mission in record time."

"Thank you sir," Chuck, Bryce, Morgan and Casey chorused.

"Where are the ladies?"

"They should have delivered the package by now and must be on their way back here."

"I see. Well, pass the congratulations on."

"Yes sir."

"Take a few days off. I recently spent a few days in Rio with Mrs. Graham. You're gonna love the place."

"Vacation time, that's neat, Boss."

"Provided you keep doing the intel reviews twice daily, as usual."

"No problem."

Sarah and Jill sneaked back into their respective suites still wearing the maids' uniforms. Their boyfriends were definitely in for a surprise, namely the fulfillment of a fantasy every healthy male has at one time or another. The beginning of the vacation tome in Rio would certainly be memorable.

-o-

On the evening of the following day, Chuck and Sarah were walking hand in hand along the beautiful beach in front of their hotel. They were the only two people in sight. Suddenly, Chuck froze.

"Chuck, are you all right? You didn't flash or anything, did you?"

"Not exactly, but I had a flash of inspiration."

"Huh?"

"I was making plans after plans, but Morgan was right. I only have to follow my heart."

"You lost me there."

"Sarah, I love you, you know that."

"Of course I do, dummy. I love you too."

"I have your parents' blessing, given over a video link, and this." He knelt on the sand, producing a small box from a pocket. He opened it. It contained a beautiful ring. "Sarah Lisa Walker, will you marry me?"

"I… Chuck… oh boy…" Sarah stammered, shocked. "I… I love you, Chuck, so yes. Yes, I will marry you."

Grinning broadly, he slipped the ring on her finger. She grabbed two fistfuls of his shirt, pulled him up and kissed him.

"Awesome was right."

"About what?" Sarah asked, somewhat absentmindedly, as she was immensely happy.

"About you and me being next in line for engagement."

"Yes, he was right. It's funny you know. If anyone told me a few months ago that I would end up engaged to be married I'd have laughed in their face. But now… I feel happy, ecstatic."

"Remember to get some ear protection when we get home, because when Ellie sees the ring on your finger…"

"Shut up. It's not nice to be so mean to her."

"I'm kidding."

"Whatever. Now, let's go celebrate our engagement." She led the way back to their suite.


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N:** This time it did not take me too long to update. So, here it is, the penultimate chapter of the story. Enjoy!

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 21<strong>

"You're not seriously considering wearing THAT on the beach!" Chuck exclaimed, horrified.

"Why, don't you like it?" Sarah said foxily and pirouetted, giving her fiancé a good look of her secret weapon.

"Sarah," he said in exasperation. "If this does not meet the definition of butt floss, I don't know what does."

"How come you're so prudish all of a sudden, lover? Besides, we're in Rio. Doesn't it give your macho pride a boost, having others see what you're enjoying on a daily basis?"

She was taunting him and he knew it, so he decided not to dignify her comment with a response. They both knew perfectly well how respectful he was of women. But then again, he was a man. His fiancée's behavior should not go unanswered. And since every man has an inner caveman, he grabbed her, slung her over a shoulder and carried her kicking and giggling to the bathroom of their suite, giving her a smack on her well rounded buttocks for good measure. Then, he unceremoniously dumped her in the hot tub and jumped in after her.

"Let's compromise," he said. "This will be for my eyes only."

"I have other bikinis," she remarked offhandedly. Naturally, the obscenely skimpy bikini did not stay on her for long and neither did Chuck's swimming trunks.

The first thing their friends noticed when the team gathered in the lobby a couple of hours later was the sparkling diamond on Sarah's finger. Jill was the first to react, crushing the couple in a hug. Bryce clapped his friend on the back and hugged Sarah. Morgan, happy as hell at seeing his best friend, his brother from different parents so incredibly happy, jumped on them both and held them for what seemed like an eternity. Casey was more restrained, shaking their hands and wishing them all the best.

In the afternoon, Chuck and Sarah made a video call to their parents.

"How did it go, Charlie?" Jack asked without preamble.

Sarah wiggled her ring finger in front of the webcam. "Does this answer your question, Dad?"

Her mother gasped and hugged her husband tightly. "I'm so happy for you, baby girl! I didn't expect he'd pop the question so soon, but I'm glad he did."

"Thanks Mom."

"Hey, what are you guys doing?" Carina asked, coming into her parents' house.

"Come here, darling. It's your sister."

"Hey kiddo, what's up?"

"This is up!" She showed off the ring again. "Chuck proposed and I said yes."

"You finally decided to settle down?" Carina was understandably somewhat incredulous.

"It's Chuck's fault," Sarah laughed.

"When's the wedding?"

Sarah thought for a minute. "Since Chuck's sister will soon be getting married as well, I think we can have a double wedding. And I think she'll agree."

"Trust me, she will," Chuck said.

"Did you tell her?"

"No, not yet. She'll see for herself when we get back home."

They talked for a while longer. Sarah's family was ecstatic to see the youngest member well on the road to happiness.

After the video call ended, Carina fished her phone from her purse and dialed a number she had not called in a long time.

"Hello."

"Zondra? It's Carina."

"Oh, hey Carina. What's up?"

"Where are you?"

"I'm in Brasilia, at the Embassy, going through a truckload of paperwork."

"Yikes."

"I don't mind, especially after Sarah and her team nabbed Gaez."

"Yeah, I know. They're still in Rio, by the way."

"Lucky them," Zondra commented.

"I have more news for you. Sarah Walker is finally getting hitched!"

"WHAT?"

"Yeah, my baby sister is engaged to be married."

"Who's the lucky guy?"

"You met him."

"Carmichael? Is it him?"

"Uh-huh."

"Wow, I gotta sit down. It's a lot to take. Sarah's a lucky girl. I know I just met her fiancé, but he struck me as a nice guy."

"You have no idea."

Suddenly, as they were talking, Zondra remembered something. "Carina, we should also tell Amy. She deserves to get closure and she'll also be as surprised as I was to learn about Sarah."

"Leave it to me. And if I know my sister, she'll throw an engagement party soon, so see if you have some vacation days you can take."

"Oh, I have plenty."

"Good. You'll be hearing from us soon."

"OK. Again, thanks for the good news."

After hanging up with Zondra, Carina called the magazine Amy worked for. They told her that she was on assignment in LA. "Perfect," Carina meowed. She would deliver the good news in person.

Amy was dog tired after covering a movie premiere for the magazine. At least she had plenty of material for her article. Entering her hotel room, she kicked off her shoes and plopped down on the soft mattress of her bed.

"You're getting careless," a familiar voice said.

Amy jumped up. "Carina?"

"In the flesh."

"It's been a long time."

"Yes it has, kid. Come here." The two old friends hugged. "And I have news."

"Good ones I hope."

"Good and better," Carina replied. "Which do you want to hear first?"

"The good news."

"Gaez is in custody. We finally got him."

Tears welled up in Amy's eyes. "Thank you for telling me," she said simply.

"It gets better. It was Sarah and her team who got him. And speaking of her, her boyfriend proposed to her and she said yes."

"Wait, we're talking about Sarah Walker, right? Our old partner who also happens to be your little sister?"

"Indeed."

"She's getting married?"

"She finally found Mr. Right. I know him, personally and professionally. He's a great guy."

"Wow."

"You don't say… Prepare for a party when she gets back, just like old times."

"Who's the lucky guy?"

"You may have heard of him as Charles Carmichael."

"_The_ Charles Carmichael?"

"The one and only."

"This calls for a celebration. I can order champagne from room service."

"I already did that. It should be up shortly. Sarah's still in Brazil, but she'll be back soon and then it's party time."

"I can't wait!"

-o-

Sarah was not having a good day. Since the post-mission poker game began in the plane, she was losing every hand. At least most of her money went to Chuck, so it was not much of a problem, but she was running out of cash to throw in the pot. For a fleeting second, she thought about using her engagement ring as collateral, but immediately scolded herself for even thinking about it.

"Call," she finally said, throwing her last five dollar bill in the pot. As it turned out, her luck changed. Her hand beat Casey's and she gleefully swept the pot to her. Of course, she couldn't know that Chuck had accidentally glimpsed her cards and had folded despite having a superior hand, wanting to let her win.

Carina was waiting for them at LAX. She wanted to be the first to congratulate her baby sister and her fiancé in person, not to mention needing to hear all about the mission. It had been really close to home, after all. She used her DEA credentials to gain access to the private arrivals terminal and she was on hot coals while the Falcon taxied to its assigned parking spot and the passengers disembarked.

"Sis! Chuckles!" She ran to them and they all hugged. "Let me see the ring up close, Sarah."

"Sure."

"Damn, it's beautiful. Welcome home, guys." Then she turned to Casey. "Johnny, you look good."

"You too, Miller."

"Still having bad feelings about Prague, huh? In my defense, I didn't know you were married."

*grunt* (Let's just forget it happened, shall we?)

"What happened in Prague?" Chuck and Sarah asked in unison.

"Grrrrrrr…"

"C'mon," Bryce said. "I don't think we want to know what happened in Prague."

"Knowing my sister, it's probably hilarious, but I agree, we should defer to Casey's sensibilities."

Chuck was pleasantly surprised to see his father's car parked outside the apartment complex. It meant that his parents were visiting Ellie and Devon. He wanted to see them, too. And give them the good news, of course. Ellie saw them first through the living room window.

"Chuck's back!" She ran out in the courtyard. Before she could crush her little brother in a bear hug, she noticed the engagement ring. "THIS IS AMAZING! YOU PROPOSED TO SARAH, LITTLE BROTHER! AND SHE SAID YES!"

"Jeez, sis, can't you yell any louder?" Chuck complained.

Now tears of joy were rolling down Ellie's cheeks as she embraced Sarah. "I always wanted a sister. Thanks for making my wish come true, you two."

Chuck's parents were just as happy to learn of the latest developments. They could both see how much Chuck and Sarah loved each other. After warmly greeting the others, Mary and Ellie cornered Sarah for a talk, their eyes constantly drifting to the beautiful engagement ring. Then, Mary asked the unavoidable question regarding the date of the wedding. Sarah's answer elicited another loud happy squeal from Ellie.

-o-

"And Chuck was the perfect gentleman," Sarah continued telling the story of the engagement. "Before he proposed, he called my parents on the video link and asked my hand in marriage."

"Video link?" Ellie said unbelievingly.

"He's such a Nerd… MY Nerd," Sarah replied.

"We'll have to start planning the weddings."

"I'll follow your lead, Ellie. I think you have a better grasp of the concept than me."

"Don't worry. You'll soon get the hang of it. And it'll be fun."

"You think so?"

"I know so. First subject: bridesmaids. I wanted you to be my maid of honor, but we'll have to find someone else. I call dibs on Vivian."

"I'll take Carina," Sarah countered.

"Who else can we involve? I'll ask John's daughter if she wants in."

"Good idea. Jill's already in and I can also ask a couple of my friends. I met one of them in Brazil and according to my sister the other one is here in LA."

"There are lots of things to take care of. We need to find a venue, suitable decorations for it, dresses for us and the bridesmaids, take care of the reception menu, perhaps have a rehearsal dinner and finally make honeymoon arrangements."

"Can we do all that?"

"Of course we can, Sarah."

The two women commenced a thorough discussion on what they should do to prepare for the double wedding. Sarah at some point overcame her reluctance and offered some ideas, which could work if they were incorporated in a mission, but were kind of extravagant for normal people.

"I've created a monster," Ellie joked, after Sarah realized she was going overboard with some of her suggestions. The whole scene was thoroughly entertaining to everyone else, however.

"Monster, hell," Chuck commented snidely. "It's the Attack of the Bridezilla, Double Impact." The next instant two cushions flew right into his face, courtesy of his sister and his fiancée.

Bryce, never one to miss a chance to pour gasoline into a fire, took the cue. "You ladies fast forwarded to the wedding and forgot to plan an engagement bash."

"He's right!" Sarah exclaimed.

"How could we forget about it?" The phone rang and Ellie got up to answer it. As she spoke, she turned a deathly white. When she finally hung up, she looked stunned.

"Sis, what's the matter?"

There was no reply. "Eleanor, are you all right?" Stephen asked.

Chuck moved to her and lightly slapped her cheeks. It seemed to do the trick. "The Very Awesomes are on their way here," Ellie stammered.

"Devon's parents?" Mary inquired.

"The two and only."

"Chuckster, we need to stave off her hysterical Martha Stewart mode," Devon whispered.

"And I know how to do it," Chuck whispered back. "Ellie, it's fortunate to have Devon's parents coming now," he said aloud. "Think about it. We can have the engagement party you and Sarah were talking about while everyone, and I mean everyone, is here."

"He's right," Sarah said. "If anything, all the in-laws will be here: My parents, your parents, Devon's parents…"

They could almost hear the wheels turning in Ellie's head. The more she thought about it, the more she liked the idea. It was the perfect opportunity. Mr. and Mrs. Woodcomb were coming to spend a week with their son and his fiancée. It was more than enough time to plan the perfect engagement party. She smiled. "Yes, he's right," she agreed. "Let's do this."

-o-

Honey Woodcomb smiled at the two young women. "Looks to me like you have done some planning already."

"Well, Mrs. Woodcomb, it pays to start early," Sarah said honestly. "Besides, it's fun."

"Call me Honey, Sarah. And your Mom couldn't have suggested a better company to handle the catering, both for the rehearsal dinner and the wedding reception."

"Now, all we have to do is decide on a menu," Ellie yawned, having just returned from a double shift at the hospital.

"It can wait. You go get some rest. Sarah and I will talk a little longer."

"OK." Still yawning, Ellie got up and went to her room.

"Where are the guys, anyway?" Sarah asked Honey.

"Woody took them out for coffee and guy talk."

"Oh boy, I hope he won't be discussing their bachelor parties with them."

"Why the hell not? Which reminds me, are you ladies going to have a bachelorette party?"

"Frankly, I never thought about it. Maybe we'll go out with our friends a few days before the wedding, let out some steam… Nothing too much. Back to the catering issues, how do you suggest we settle on the menu?"

"Oh, that's easy, dear. We can arrange a tasting. Then, we can choose whatever we like."

"I hate Chuck," Sarah mumbled.

"Come again?"

"Chuck has good metabolism. He can eat all day long and not get an ounce of fat on his body. I, on the other hand, have to keep hitting the gym to stay in shape. Not a small matter, considering how good Ellie and Morgan cook."

"What about you, how's your cooking?"

"It's steadily improving. Ellie made it her mission to help me in that department, plus my Mom is also kind of keen to see me improve as a housekeeper."

"Ladies, we're back," Devon announced. "We also brought you some fro-yo."

"Ellie went to get some rest, but I won't say no to what you got us," Honey said.

"Where did you get all that?"

"At the Orange Orange across from the Buy More," Chuck replied.

"You know, I was a Double O girl once. It was a summer job I loved."

"You were?"

"I was. Chuck, we need to have your parents and my parents over soon. Honey here suggested holding a tasting for the reception menu."

"Sure, I think I can arrange something. In fact, I'd like to do so as soon as possible."

-o-

The Very Awesomes decided to prolong their stay in Burbank. In addition to being very good friends with Stephen and Mary Bartowski, they didn't want to miss the engagement party. Said party took place soon. Chuck had Morgan take care of the invitations, Sarah only adding a special request.

"So, you're finally settling down, Walker," a guest remarked as she arrived. "I never thought I'd live to see the day."

Sarah smiled widely. "That makes two of us, Alex. What about you, are you still shacking up with your SAS man?"

"Who, Cole?"

"Yes, Cole."

"You know us. It's on again-off again, but we enjoy it."

"Chuck," Sarah said, "Lieutenant Forrest here was my roommate at the Farm. Graham had just pirated her from the Army."

"It's Captain Forrest now."

"Still with a regulation poker up your ass, I see," Sarah joked.

"It's nice to see some things never change," Forrest laughed. "By the way, how did you two meet?"

"We met on the job. You'll have heard of Chuck as Charles Carmichael."

"You're Carmichael? Sure, I've heard of you."

"Same here," Chuck said. He knew all there was to know about Captain Alexandra Forrest, courtesy of the Intersect.

The party was going extremely well. Sarah and Chuck were very happy to see their parents talking like old friends. Sarah in particular, relished the idea of having Mary Bartowski, aka Frost, as her mother-in-law. She loved Stephen and Ellie very much, too. Chuck was also very fond of his fiancée's parents and sister. Everyone seemed to think they were a match made in heaven.

Later, most of the guests had left, leaving only the closest family members with the happy couples. The Casey family retired to their apartment, after Amy extracted a promise from every girl to let her plan the bachelorette party. It was the least she could do for Sarah. Then, she and Zondra left for their hotel.

-o-

"It's official. I'm bushed," Sarah said as she plopped down on the bed, still fully dressed.

"Me too, but we had a great time, honey."

"You have no idea. By the way, who will plan the bachelor party for you and Devon?"

"The issue is still open, although I have a feeling Morgan and Bryce are going to want to take care of it."

"Should I be worried?"

"Never." He kissed her.

"You know, we didn't tell Graham about it yet. I mean, he knew we were dating, but he has no idea we're making it official."

Chuck grinned deviously. "Leave it to me."

"Why, what are you going to do? Tell me."

"I'll send him an invitation to the wedding - a very special invitation."

"Please explain."

"Every year on my birthday, he sends me an e-card. I'll return the favor."

"Can I help?"

"Sure. Together, we can come up with the most outrageous wedding invitation ever."

"I can't wait to see his face when he gets it. But for now, I have other things in mind," she purred seductively and pulled him down to her for a kiss that turned out to be the prelude for much, much more.


	22. Chapter 22

**A/N:** Well, that's all, folks. Thank you for your unwavering support throughout this. As for me, don't worry, I can't stay away from FF long. I'll be back with a new story soon.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 22<strong>

The mission was finally over. Had anyone asked Chuck to describe Sarah at that precise moment, as she shuffled beside him towards their apartment, he'd say without hesitation that she looked like a dirty, beautiful and extremely horny zombie. And everything would be true. Throughout the drive, she cuddled next to him in the van, not minding their dirty coveralls and despite the exhaustion from the mission.

Stepping into the courtyard, they ran into Ellie, who was back from a boring shift at the hospital.

"Wow, you guys stink," Ellie said, wrinkling her nose in disgust.

"It's Casey's fault. His plan necessitated us doing plumbing, when none of us knows how to actually plumb."

"At least we got the intel," Casey said defensively.

"We should tell Morgan to put some For Dummies books in our mission kit," Sarah yawned.

"I'll tell him in the morning. Right now I wanna get rid of this outfit and shower a couple hundred times."

"Me too." Then her grin turned positively foxy. "Maybe we can also work on our plumbing skills," she purred seductively.

Casey grunted in mock disgust, while Ellie laughed.

"We'll do the report in the morning," Chuck informed Casey before leaving the tools they were carrying by the fountain and disappearing with Sarah inside the apartment.

-o-

"That's it. Report sent," Chuck told the others and leaned back in his comfortable chair. "I expect to hear from the bosses soon."

"It'll take time for them to read through the report, Bartowski."

"Let's just say that I added something extra to the report."

"You didn't!" Jill exclaimed.

"I most certainly did."

"What?" Casey had lost them somewhere along the way.

"You really sent them the invitation attached to a mission report?" Sarah queried.

"I wish I were a fly on the wall in their office when they open it," her fiancé chuckled.

Had his wish come true, he would have seen the two directors skimming through the report, voicing their satisfaction on yet another successful mission.

"What's this?" Graham asked suddenly.

"It's tagged with Agent Bartowski's code and marked Directors' Eyes Only. I think it's for you."

"No, it's for us. Chuck doesn't make typos in his reports."

"Shall I open it then?"

"By all means."

Beckman tried her pass code for encrypted communications and to her surprise it worked. "You were right, it's for both of us."

"Let's see what he sent us."

"I can't believe it!" General Beckman exclaimed after reading it.

"I can. Apparently he found a way to get even for the e-cards I send him on his birthday every year," Graham laughed.

"It must be some kind of joke!"

"No. It's no joke, General. Chuck and Sarah are really getting married. And I don't know about you, but I'll most certainly attend."

"What the Hell, I'll go as well. Bartowski and Walker are good agents. They deserve some sort of reward from us. Honoring them with our presence on their special day certainly fits the bill. I just need a date and I have someone in mind."

"I'll go with my wife."

-o-

For a while life went along as usual, with Sarah and Ellie always finding time for wedding preparations. One important issue that had to be dealt with was the venue. While the other two pairs of parents were content to leave the matter to their children's discretion, the Very Awesomes wanted to have a say in the matter. They couldn't help it, as Devon was the first of their three sons to be getting married and they were kind of overenthusiastic about it.

"Mom, I know how strongly you feel about it, but in the end the decision is not yours to make," Devon explained to his mother over the phone. She'd just called again with yet another suggestion for a wedding site. "Ellie and I are talking about it with Chuck and Sarah. We'll look at various sites and make a decision based on consensus… No more calling about it, OK? By Mom, love ya."

"Honey again?" Chuck queried.

"Yeah." Awesome put his phone in the pocket of his scrubs and rubbed a hand over his chin. "It's getting annoying. Sometimes I wish she was more like your Mom, or Sarah's Mom."

"Trust me, they are meddling too, but in more subtle ways."

"Well, my folks are anything but subtle." Then he changed the subject. "How are things at work? Ellie told me about the other night."

"Right now we're between missions, which suits our beloved Bridezillas just fine."

"I heard that!" Sarah called from their room.

"Damn! I am engaged to the Bionic Woman!"

Devon laughed. "Yeah, those two have picked up the pace. I think they already have made the choices of dresses."

"We need to decide on a location soon. I sent an invitation to my Boss, but only informed him of the date."

"Yeah… about that… Chuckster, I just remembered something Ellie told me a long time ago. She said something about wanting a beach wedding."

"What do you think?"

"I think it'd be perfect."

"Yes, I think so too. Sarah?"

"Yes Chuck?"

"How does a beach wedding strike you?"

"It sounds very romantic."

"Then it's settled. We'll have a beach wedding."

"Whoa, cool your jets, bro. Getting a permit for a beach wedding can take forever."

It was Chuck's turn to laugh. "Not when we have the combined clout of the CIA and the NSA behind us. Trust me. Getting a permit will be a breeze."

"Nice to see you'll stoop to abusing your authority in order to make Ellie and Sarah happy."

"I'd do anything for friends and family, you know that."

-o-

With nothing else to do, Chuck was writing a segment of code for a computer game he was developing on his free time, while Morgan and Bryce were having one of their movie related friendly arguments. The discussion was entertaining and helped him make quicker progress on his work, until Casey stuck his head through the door.

"Bartowski, the General called. We have a briefing in thirty. Where's Walker?"

"Sarah's out on company errands," Chuck lied. True, it was an errand Sarah originally went out for, but right now she was with Ellie at a bridal store for the final fitting of their wedding dresses.

"It's okay, we won't need her for this. Basically the bosses want to talk to you."

"Then it's not about a mission," Chuck said absentmindedly.

"They didn't say, but you're probably right."

Half an hour on the dot later, Chuck and company, minus Sarah, were clustered around the screen in the briefing room.

"We have some good news for you, Chuck," Graham said.

"I'm all ears, Boss."

"Our technicians finally completed the data compilation and encoding for the new Intersect."

"I guess that makes me kind of redundant – as an Intersect, of course."

"You did very well, Agent Bartowski," General Beckman said. "But without regular updates, a lot of the data in your head would have gone stale."

"If it hasn't already."

"Yes, you are right."

"So, where does that leave us?"

"Your father is expected in DC tomorrow to supervise the upload to the new computer, which, as you know, has already been delivered to us."

"And then you and his team are free to devise a way to erase the Intersect from your head."

Chuck pursed his lips, deep in thought. "I wonder if I can keep the skills pack," he said, addressing no one in particular. "It's really cool."

Graham heard him. "Ask your father. It's basically up to the program he's writing."

"I will, Boss. Thank you for the good news. I'm tired of being a portable hard drive."

The moment the conference call ended, Chuck called Stephen. His father confirmed that everything was going smoothly so far. Knowing his son, he had already configured the Intersect removal program to erase only the intel and not the skills pack, something Chuck was grateful for.

-o-

At the end of the week, Stephen paid a visit to his son at the cover business. "I see the gang's all here," he said cheerfully.

"Give us the good news, Stephen," Sarah said, hugging her soon to be father-in-law.

He smiled. "The new Intersect computer is fully operational and cured of the glitch the original had."

"And when can you fix Chuck?"

"I have some minor refining to do, but otherwise the removal program is ready. We can proceed with it soon."

"We're about to go home now, Stephen. Would you care for dinner at our place?"

"Sarah's rapidly becoming every bit as good as Ellie in the kitchen," Chuck provided some additional incentive.

"Let me call your mother. She'll want to be there, too."

Over dinner, Chuck was keeping an eye on his parents. At family gatherings like this one, they were usually irrepressibly loquacious. But right now not a squeak was coming from either of them. Something was up. Chuck was sure of it.

"Mom, is everything OK?"

"Uh-huh."

"I'm only asking because you and Dad are awfully quiet tonight."

"Think, Charles," Stephen said. "What does usually cause us to shut up?"

"A really good meal?" Ellie offered.

"Yep," her parents replied in unison.

"Really?" Sarah looked like she'd just been pronounced a master chef.

"Yes dear," Mary smiled. "It's something we haven't tasted in a long time and no restaurant we know can get it right."

"I just followed Ellie's recipe, with a couple of modifications suggested by Chuck."

"She's teaching you well, honey."

"Thanks Chuck. Anyone up for dessert?"

"Everything's so delicious, I'll make room," declared Devon.

"What are we having?" Stephen asked.

"My specialty, which happens to be a chocolate soufflé with fruit."

"Way to go, Sarah!"

"Did you find the recipe online?"

"Huh?"

"Chuck let me in the other day to borrow something from your kitchen and I couldn't help seeing the recipes you printed off the internet."

"Well, I am getting married, so I have to become at least something resembling a housewife. As for the soufflé, it's a recipe passed down from mother to daughter in my family."

She brought it from the kitchen and served it. With the first bite everyone took an expression of bliss. "Delicious," Mary gushed. "Sarah, I need the recipe, unless it's a family secret."

"No, I can give it to you. You can also talk to my Mom. She has a whole lot of recipes just sitting around waiting for her to find the time to cook."

"And I guess it's well worth the wait."

"Oh, it is. By the way, Chuck made his chicken pepperoni the other day. It was amazing. Did you or Ellie teach him?"

"Neither," Chuck butted in. "I found it on the web."

-o-

The bachelor party had gone very well. The guys had had lots of fun, but without going overboard. When Chuck finally returned home, he was surprised not to find Sarah there. He shrugged. With Carina organizing the bachelorette party, they might come home even later than the guys.

In the morning he woke up to find not one, but two girls in bed with him, both fully dressed. One was Sarah. The other was Carina.

"Sarah."

"Head… hurts… please stop shouting."

"What happened here?"

"A lot. We partied. We all came here and went straight to bed."

"All?"

"Devon, Morgan and Casey heard us coming in and they collected Ellie and Alex, but the rest are here."

"I see Carina. Where are the others?"

"Follow me." Sarah got up on shaky legs, wrapped a hoodie around her and led the way to the guest bedroom. The bed was occupied by Zondra, Amy and Jill. A loud snore came from the living room and there Chuck found Alex Forrest and Eve Nichols, one on the couch and the other on the recliner. Then he noticed a pair of feet visible from behind the couch. Vivian had made a pallet with various cushions and was deep in sleep, like the others.

"How are you, Sarah?"

"I feel like I've been run over by Casey's Crown Vic."

"That bad, huh?"

"What can I say? We drank a lot," she admitted guiltily.

"Come on. You need water, aspirin and coffee."

"Make enough for everyone."

"I know what I'm doing, sweetheart." He got the coffee machine going and then started on breakfast for everyone. One by one, the party weary girls woke up and congregated in the living room, rubbing tired eyes and nursing monumental hangovers. Of course, a little thing like a splitting headache would not deter Sarah, Jill, Alex, Ellie and Alexandra from interrogating their boyfriends and fiancés about their conduct during the bachelor party.

-o-

The big day finally arrived. The girls claimed the Bartowski/Walker apartment to get ready, banishing the men to the Woodcomb/Bartowski residence. Casey would drive both brides to the wedding site in his Crown Victoria. Sarah summarily overrode all the stylist's objections and kept on the charm bracelet Chuck had given her some time after they became a real couple. Ellie wholeheartedly supported the decision, knowing that both Chuck and Mary would see it and appreciate the gesture.

Casey knocked on the door. "Ladies, it's time. Larkin and Grimes are waiting to take the bridesmaids. The others left for the beach."

Sarah opened the door and saw Casey in a neatly pressed suit, an unlit cigar jutting from his mouth, while Kathleen looked amazing in her dress. "We're ready," she confirmed.

The setup at the site was one to behold. There was a light breeze blowing, just enough to cause the waves to hiss gently on the surf. In short, it was perfect. Stephen and Jack escorted their daughters to where Chuck and Devon stood waiting with the Justice of the Peace. The ceremony began and the happy couples exchanged vows of everlasting faith and love. When they were done there was hardly a dry eye among the females present, while all men had also been deeply touched.

"By the power vested in me by the State of California, I pronounce you men and wives. Charles, Devon, you may kiss the brides." All guests and relatives applauded as the newly married couples kissed.

The wedding reception took place at the same location where Ellie had thrown her most memorable parties: the courtyard of the apartment complex at Franklin Street. Chuck, with Sarah by his side, looked around and spotted Graham talking to Sarah's parents. General Beckman was laughing at one of Stephen's jokes. Chuck took a good look at her date and flashed. Only Sarah noticed it.

"You flashed? On our wedding day?"

"I couldn't help it, babe. Do you know who Beckman's date is?"

"No, who?"

"Roan Montgomery."

"I've heard of him. Real old school and one of the best."

"Overrated if you ask me," Casey observed dryly as he passed them, glass of whiskey in hand. "He used to be an instructor. Flunked me twice on infiltration and inducement, just because my partner was gorgeous. Tried to pass it off as me hesitating because I was married. I told him that Kathleen was all the proof needed as to my prowess at seducing women."

"She wasn't easy at first, was she?"

"Hell no, I had to fight all the way for her, but I don't regret it one little bit."

"You know, the Intersect had an interesting video on Beckman and Montgomery. It showed them both in Berlin back in '89. I'll try to hack into a database and find it. Beckman as a blonde… it's gonna be precious."

The fun continued during the time honored bouquet and garter throwing rituals. Sarah had set it up so that her bouquet would land in Alex Forrest's hands. Her boyfriend Cole Barker succeeded in catching the garter. Alex Casey and Morgan Grimes were the lucky winners of Ellie and Devon's throws.

-o-

Chuck and Sarah took a short honeymoon and returned refreshed to Burbank. It was mostly business as usual for all of them. Chuck finally had the Intersect removed, something he simply hadn't had the time to do before the wedding. It was just as well, as Sarah had been so insatiable during the two weeks they were away, that he'd needed it to cope. A couple of years passed, with the team functioning with the same degree of efficiency. Ellie had also given birth to a beautiful baby girl, whom everyone, Casey included, was spoiling rotten.

One day, after another successful mission, the entire gang gathered for a movie. Sarah was playing with baby Clara when she reached for a slice of just delivered pizza. She was halfway through when Chuck returned with two huge bowls of popcorn.

"Where's my pizza?"

"It's right there, Chuck," Sarah replied around a mouthful of delicious pizza.

"No, that's your pizza, the one without the olives."

"Huh?" She looked and she was indeed devouring Chuck's pizza. "I didn't notice."

"You didn't notice the olives?"

She chewed thoughtfully for a second. "They taste good. I wonder why I never liked them cooked."

"Sarah, are you all right?"

"I'm fine."

"What's wrong?" Devon asked.

"Sarah likes olives on her pizza all of a sudden."

"That's weird. She normally went to extreme lengths to ensure her pizzas would be olive-free," Ellie observed. "Unless…"

"What?"

"When was your last period?"

"I'll have to check."

"Odds are you missed at least one."

"You mean I could be… pregnant?"

"I see no other explanation. But how? You and Chuck are fanatical about using protection."

"It's Morgan's fault. He never made good on his IOU and Chuck is still without an emergency reserve condom in his wallet."

"You're not mad at me?" Morgan asked timidly.

"How can I be? Your thievery enabled Chuck to give me the greatest gift of all."

"I'm taking you to the hospital first thing in the morning for tests. But I think they'll only confirm that you're at least six weeks along. Also, what are you going to do in the future?"

"I'll stop being a field agent," Sarah replied resolutely. "I'm a mother now. My kid is my first priority. Graham will understand."

As it turned out, Sarah was expecting not one, but two kids. Before long, a miniature copy of Chuck and another of Sarah were running around, being spoiled just as rotten as their older cousin.

**THE END**


End file.
